Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Righteous Intervention?
As Lu Sangjiu drew closer, she saw two male cultivators surrounded by a crowd.
One was burly and powerful, with a ferocious expression. The other was handsome and slender, but had a cold and distant air about him.
The burly man was pointing at the other and cursing, claiming he had deliberately damaged his Magic Treasure and demanding compensation.
A few people in the crowd occasionally chimed in to jeer, also telling the man to pay up.
Lu Sangjiu had seen this kind of scam far too often in the Western Demon Realm. She could tell at a glance that the people in the crowd were shills, just trying to extort money from the cold-faced male cultivator because he looked wealthy.
Sky Curtain City was a chaotic mix of people these days, and incidents like this were common. The city’s Law Enforcers couldn’t possibly manage everything, so these people had naturally grown more brazen.
Lu Sangjiu found it boring and had no intention of playing the hero for a stranger, so she turned to leave.
Just then, she heard the cold-faced male cultivator, who had been silent the whole time, finally speak.
The other man had been cursing nonstop for a long time, but his response was just a single, short, and cold sentence. "Get lost now, and you might just make it."
’Tsk... What a show-off!’
Lu Sangjiu couldn’t help but stop and look back, suddenly curious about what would happen next.
’Hmm, will he manage to keep up this cool act, or will he get struck by lightning for showing off?’
’Oh well, it’s not like I have anything better to do. I might as well stay and watch the show!’
The cold-faced male cultivator’s single sentence not only piqued Lu Sangjiu’s curiosity but also ignited the burly man’s fury.
He sneered mockingly, "Heh, you’ve got some nerve! What, you dare to fight me here in Sky Curtain City?"
The cold-faced male cultivator’s cultivation was at the Late-stage Golden Core, while the burly man’s was only at the Golden Core Early Stage.
The only reason he was acting so arrogant now was that fighting was forbidden in Sky Curtain City. Since the Lingjian Sect was in charge, he was certain the other man wouldn’t dare to make a move.
The onlookers thought so too. Some kind-hearted people even tried to persuade him, "Forget it, forget it. You shouldn’t fight here. The people from the Lingjian Sect show no mercy!"
The Lingjian Sect was full of Sword Cultivators, most of whom were rigid and by-the-book. They valued rules above all and showed no partiality. The person who spoke meant well for the cold-faced male cultivator.
Unexpectedly, he didn’t say a single word in response to their advice. He just attacked!
Without even unsheathing his longsword, he simply flicked his wrist. The sword, pulsing with powerful Spiritual Power, sent the burly man flying!
The burly man was caught completely off guard and flew a great distance before crashing heavily to the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and clutched his chest, unable to even get up. He was a miserable sight.
The surrounding crowd gasped... they were shocked not only by his strength but even more so by his audacity.
Fighting in Sky Curtain City? He wasn’t giving the Lingjian Sect any face at all!
Standing in the crowd, Lu Sangjiu also raised an eyebrow, a little surprised herself.
’This kid really is arrogant to the core. Those old fossils from the Lingjian Sect probably won’t let him off easy.’
Just as she was thinking this, the Law Enforcement Team on patrol in Sky Curtain City arrived. The leader’s voice was stern. "Who dares cause trouble in Sky Curtain City?"
"It was him! You have to give us justice!"
At this, the burly man’s accomplices, who had been hiding in the crowd, dropped their act and stepped forward to point him out.
"This man has no respect for the law! He dared to attack someone right here in Sky Curtain City! He clearly has no regard for the Lingjian Sect. You can’t let him off easy!"
It had to be said, their inflammatory words were quite effective. The Law Enforcement Team captain’s face visibly darkened.
Seeing this, the crowd quickly backed away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
And so, the cold-faced male cultivator stood face-to-face with the captain of the Law Enforcement Team.
The captain stared at him grimly. Without another word, he waved to his subordinates. "Take him away!"
The cold-faced male cultivator’s expression didn’t change. He only tightened his grip on his longsword, standing ramrod straight with an air of unyielding pride.
Lu Sangjiu figured the show was probably over and was about to leave when her gaze suddenly fixed on the longsword in the cold-faced male cultivator’s hand. Her eyes widened in surprise...
Just as the Law Enforcement Team members were about to apprehend the man, Lu Sangjiu suddenly burst from the crowd. "Hold on!"
Before one wave had settled, another rose. Everyone, including the cold-faced male cultivator himself, stared dumbfounded at the Female Cultivator who had just rushed out.
He looked at Lu Sangjiu with confusion, which only deepened when he confirmed he didn’t know her.
The Law Enforcement Team captain, however, glared at her malevolently. "Who are you? Interfere with Law Enforcers and you’ll be charged with the same crime!"
Lu Sangjiu deliberately put on a frightened expression. "You... even if you try to scare me, I’m still going to speak!"
Her face was a picture of stubborn, righteous indignation. "We are Cultivators, and we follow our hearts. How can we betray our consciences and fail to speak up for justice out of fear?"
With that, she pointed to the group of men. "I saw everything. It was clearly these men who started the scam, blocking this fellow cultivator and refusing to let him leave."
Hearing this, the men became flustered and angry. "You’re spouting nonsense! When did we ever run a scam? Do you have any proof?"
Lu Sangjiu: "I... I may not have proof, but I believe many people here saw it!"
She looked at the others with an innocent and sincere expression. "We are all fellow Cultivators and should help each other. I implore you all to speak up for justice!"
Her earnest plea quickly moved someone in the crowd. "A Foundation Establishment Cultivator dares to step forward; it makes no sense for the rest of us to pretend we’re blind!"
"I’ll testify! It was this group who orchestrated the scam first!"
"That’s right! Even if you arrest that fellow cultivator, you have to take this scum with you for it to be fair!"
As everyone began to step forward and testify, Lu Sangjiu put on a moved expression. "Thank you, everyone! Thank you all so much!"
Finally, she turned back to the cold-faced male cultivator and gave him a sincere smile. "Don’t be afraid, fellow cultivator. Everyone is testifying for you!"
The cold-faced male cultivator: "..."
’He had no idea which of her eyes had seen any fear in him.’
However, he knew Lu Sangjiu was helping him, so he didn’t say anything ungrateful. He just pursed his lips slightly and remained silent.
Lu Sangjiu wasn’t offended. She just looked at the Law Enforcement Team’s captain. "See? I wasn’t lying!"
But this didn’t make the captain feel he had wronged them. He maintained his cold expression and said, "Even so, it is a fact that he attacked someone in Sky Curtain City."
"You included. For gathering a crowd, disturbing the peace, and obstructing law enforcement. Take them all away!"
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’She really had to hand it to these old fossils from the Lingjian Sect. How could every single one of them, from top to bottom, be such a stick-in-the-mud???’
But... she glanced at the cold-faced male cultivator.
’Oh well,’ she thought. ’A trip is just a trip. At least this way, he’ll owe me an even bigger favor. It’s not a total loss.’
So she walked up to the cold-faced male cultivator and said righteously, "Don’t be afraid, fellow cultivator. We’re in the right, no matter where they take us. I refuse to believe the Lingjian Sect is truly incapable of telling black from white!"
