Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Who Gave You the Nerve?
This was a blatant defiance of the Alchemist Association’s authority. Regardless of his guilt or innocence, Hua Luoxuan would face severe punishment.
"Guards!"
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Seizing the opportunity, Steward Xuu slammed the great bell in the Law Enforcement Hall. The resonant chimes spread throughout the entire Alchemist Association.
This was the Law Enforcement Bell, which could only be rung when the Law Enforcement Hall faced a major incident. It was a call for backup.
Steward Xuu stared at Hua Luoxuan, a savage sneer finally twisting his lips. "Hua Luoxuan, you’re finished. No matter how you try to argue, you defied an investigation by the Law Enforcement Hall and attacked its guards. Not even the Heavenly King himself can save you now."
A cold smile also appeared on Prince He’s face. He was well-acquainted with Xuu Ji and naturally knew the rules of the Law Enforcement Hall.
If, just a moment ago, they could only harass Hua Luoxuan and cause him a bit of trouble, everything had changed the instant he made a move.
This Hua Luoxuan would surely face severe punishment from the Alchemist Association.
He smiled excitedly and said to the proud young woman, "Jing’Er, let’s just wait here and enjoy the show. This Hua Luoxuan is about to have some bad luck. And as for that boy who laid a hand on you, your father won’t let him go either."
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
As he spoke, a series of figures shot in from outside. Each newcomer possessed an extraordinary aura; the weakest among them was a Third Grade Alchemist.
A few of them had particularly remarkable auras, clearly experts at the Celestial Martial Artist level.
An even more powerful elder, his aura as deep and vast as an abyss, flew in from outside the Law Enforcement Hall. The crowd parted for him wherever he went.
As soon as this person arrived, his gaze landed on Xuu Ji. He spoke coldly, "Xuu Ji, why did you ring the Law Enforcement Bell?"
"Master Chen!" Upon seeing the man, Xuu Ji immediately spoke with reverence. "We received a report from Prince He claiming that someone from our Alchemist Association was acting unscrupulously and causing trouble in the Royal City. This subordinate sent men to investigate. However, the accused not only defied the Law Enforcement Hall’s orders but also injured the lead guard. Left with no other choice, I had to ring the Law Enforcement Bell. I implore you, Master Chen, to ascertain the facts and punish the perpetrator severely as an example to others."
This Master Chen, named Chen Feng, was a Fourth Grade Alchemist of the Alchemist Association and also the Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, holding great authority.
"Oh? Is that so?" Chen Feng glanced coldly at the guards lying on the floor, his expression turning frigid. "Xuu Ji, who exactly was so audacious as to act so outrageously in my Law Enforcement Hall?"
"Hall Master, it was him! Hua Luoxuan, the President of the Blue Moon City Alchemist Association! He’s acting arrogant and domineering, with no regard for the law, just because he broke through to the Celestial Martial Artist realm!" Xuu Ji pointed at Hua Luoxuan in the crowd, a cold smile on his lips.
"Hua Luoxuan?" Chen Feng’s expression changed slightly. He turned his head and his eyes met Hua Luoxuan’s. The surprise in his gaze was palpable as he asked, astonished, "Master Hua, didn’t you say you were going to the royal palace? What are you doing here?"
This Chen Feng was one of the three masters who had previously accompanied President He Zhen during Hua Luoxuan’s assessment.
Hua Luoxuan’s gaze was icy as he replied tonelessly, "Master Chen, I was on my way to the royal palace. Unfortunately, three of your Law Enforcement Hall stewards, including Xuu Ji, accused me of committing all sorts of evil in the Royal City and insisted on dragging me back here for an investigation. So, I came along. Who would have thought that after we got here, they couldn’t produce a shred of evidence? They just told me to stay here to be ’investigated.’ My time is precious; I can’t afford to waste it with them. When I tried to leave, Xuu Ji ordered his guards to attack me. I had no choice but to defend myself. If I happened to injure anyone from your Law Enforcement Hall, I am truly sorry."
Hua Luoxuan recounted the events in just a few sentences. His tone was unremarkable, but its icy quality made his anger perfectly clear to Chen Feng.
"Master Hua, please don’t be angry. Allow me to get to the bottom of this and give you justice."
"Xuu Ji." Chen Feng suddenly turned his head, his eyes narrowed as he said coldly, "I ask you, who gave you the nerve to bring Master Hua back for an investigation?"
"Th-that..." Xuu Ji’s heart leaped in shock. He might be arrogant, but he wasn’t an idiot. How could he not hear the fury in Chen Feng’s voice?
Besides, from the earlier exchange between Hua Luoxuan and Master Chen, he could tell that this Hua Luoxuan seemed to be very familiar with the Hall Master.
Under Chen Feng’s sharp gaze, Xuu Ji swallowed hard and said hoarsely, "It was Prince He who reported Hua Luoxuan for wrongdoing. This subordinate only brought him back for investigation because of that. Everything was done according to the Law Enforcement Hall’s procedures."
"That’s right, Master Chen. Your subordinate Steward Xuu acts impartially and with integrity. I, Zhao Xun, am thoroughly impressed..."
Zhao Xun also began to speak with a smile, but before he could finish, Chen Feng cut him off coldly. "Prince He, this is the sanctum of the Alchemist Association’s Law Enforcement Hall. You are an outsider. Who gave you the right to enter?"
Without so much as a glance at Prince He, whose face had stiffened, Chen Feng just stared at Xuu Ji and said sternly, "Xuu Ji, you brought Master Hua back for an investigation. It seems to me you did this without my approval, correct?"
Xuu Ji wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said hastily, "Master Chen, the decision to call Hua Luoxuan back for investigation was made after this subordinate consulted with Steward Zhao Fan and the others. There were no errors in procedure."
The other two stewards from the Law Enforcement Hall knew things were looking bad, but at this point, they could only nod in agreement.
"No errors?" Fury blazed in Chen Feng’s eyes as he sneered repeatedly.
"You brought Master Hua back for an investigation without my approval."
"You sent men to arrest him without any evidence."
"And you even detained Master Hua here for no reason."
"I’d really like to know, just who gave you the nerve to do all this?"
Chen Feng’s words were deliberate and sharp, his scathing tone making the three stewards’ legs go weak.
"Master Chen, this subordinate acted entirely in accordance with the Law Enforcement Hall’s regulations. There were absolutely no violations!" Xuu Ji said, trembling.
"Is that so? According to regulations? Then tell me, which regulation in the Law Enforcement Hall allows you to investigate a high-ranking member of the Alchemist Association without my consent?"
"Which regulation tells you that three mere Earth-Level Alchemists can interrogate a Fourth-Grade Celestial Level Alchemist?"
"And which regulation tells you that you can restrict the freedom of an Alchemist Association Elder without any evidence?"
"You tell me! What regulations were you following? The Law Enforcement Hall’s, or Xuu Ji’s own personal regulations?"
Chen Feng’s furious roars were sharp and domineering, each one making the ears of everyone present ring.
’A Fourth-Grade Celestial Level Alchemist?’
’An Elder?’
It wasn’t just the power of Chen Feng’s words that was astonishing. The meaning behind them was so shocking that Xuu Ji and the others felt as if their hearts were about to explode. They stared at Hua Luoxuan in utter disbelief.
An expression of faint, smug satisfaction crossed Hua Luoxuan’s face. Without wasting any words, he raised his right hand. Two objects appeared in his palm, displayed for all to see.
In that instant, the atmosphere in the hall froze. It was as if even the air had stopped flowing.
Everyone’s eyes, with the exception of Chen Feng, were drawn to the objects. They all stared as if they had just seen a ghost.
Unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable.
One was a badge. The one Hua Luoxuan showed was just an ordinary-looking badge, similar in design to a Third Grade Alchemist’s badge.
However, in both its material and pattern, it was far more profound and intricate than a normal Third Grade badge.
Many of the people present were Alchemists. How could they not recognize it? This badge was the very Fourth Grade Alchemist badge that countless Third Grade Alchemists dreamed of obtaining.
And behind the badge was a token. The word on the token was easy to recognize—Elder!
Xuu Ji and the others had similar tokens, but theirs bore a different word—Steward!
A mere difference in the word, a mere change in material, yet it represented two completely different tiers of status.
A Steward could only be considered mid-level management within the Liuyun Kingdom’s Alchemist Association.
But an Elder was unequivocally part of the Association’s upper echelon.
Because, under normal circumstances, the only person above an Elder was the President himself.
"How is this possible?" Xuu Ji and his men stared intently at the badge and token, their mouths dry. It felt as if something was stuck in their throats, their eyes practically bugging out of their sockets.
’I just tried to act all high and mighty in front of an Elder?’
’Heavens, wasn’t this Hua Luoxuan a Third Grade Alchemist? When did he become a Fourth Grade Alchemist and an Elder of the Association?’
Xuu Ji’s legs gave out, and his body trembled like a leaf in the wind. He nearly collapsed right onto his rear.
To investigate an Elder, only Master Chen of the Law Enforcement Hall even had the right to propose it. To actually convict one, only President He Zhen himself had the authority in the entire Alchemist Association.
"Elder Hua, I... I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness... You... you..."
Xuu Ji was dumbfounded, completely and utterly dumbfounded. His teeth chattered, his legs wouldn’t stop shaking, and his mind went completely blank.
He never would have dreamed that the president of an Alchemist Association from a small, backwater city would suddenly transform into a high-ranking member of the entire organization.
Heaven and earth could bear witness! He only had a minor connection with Prince He. When the prince came asking for a favor, he had casually agreed, thinking he could use the opportunity to humiliate someone, show off his own power, and reap some benefits.
But he never expected that in the end, he wouldn’t humiliate anyone or get to show off. Instead, he had offended a powerful figure and made himself look like a complete idiot.
For a moment, the expression on Xuu Ji’s face was a sight to behold.
As for Steward Zhao Fan and the other steward beside him, they felt like dying. They had never imagined that simply helping a colleague with a small matter would lead to such a disaster.
This Xuu Ji hadn’t just doomed himself; he had dragged both of them down with him.
They cast pleading looks at the other Alchemists who had arrived, but all they received were looks of cold indifference.
It was a joke. Hua Luoxuan was a high-ranking Elder, a Fourth-Grade Celestial Level Alchemy Master. Who would dare to get on his bad side at a time like this?
The faces of Xuu Ji and the other two stewards were deathly pale. All their previous imposing and aggressive airs completely deflated.
"Master Chen, Elder Hua, we..."
The three of them felt the overwhelming urge to drop to their knees.
