Chapter 671: Who Dares to Act!

The lively atmosphere in the main hall was like a bucket of cold water poured over it, instantly solidifying.

The guests who were still raising cups and laughing froze one by one, their gazes flicking back and forth between Qiao Zhenyu and the purple‑robed eunuch; no one dared to speak, even their breathing became cautious.

Qiao Zhenyu stood in the center of the main hall, and when the Heavenly Envoy suddenly challenged him, his brows twitched slightly.

Following the Heavenly Envoy's gaze, he saw the fleeting, not yet fully restrained cold smile on Du Jianchuan's face and instantly understood the connection.

He knew that over the years Du Jianchuan had painstakingly worked to monopolize Tianzhou's supreme power; originally, as a military commander, he only handled military affairs, keeping his water separate from Du's civil administration, and was not considered a rival to Governor Du.

But as his reputation now soars, rumors spread throughout Tianzhou about Commander Qiao's victories over Ying Kingdom warriors and how he raises Tianzhou's prestige; Governor Du clearly begins to feel wary of him.

Qiao Zhenyu sighed inwardly.

He had no intention of vying for power with Du Jianchuan, yet he was not the type to be slaughtered at others' whims.

He slightly cupped his hands, spoke neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, his voice clear and steady.

"Heavenly Envoy, you may not know, this Mr. Jiang is my senior uncle, and now he is the key figure helping our Tianzhou Martial Arts defeat the petty thieves of Ying Kingdom. As a junior, I must treat him with respect; this is natural propriety, not servility."

When he finished speaking, his gaze was open as he looked at the purple‑robed eunuch, his tone showing no hint of insecurity.

All he said were heartfelt words; Jiang Feng truly was his senior uncle, truly intervened in secret, and he knew this well, speaking with righteous confidence.

But the purple‑robed eunuch clearly did not believe him.

He set his tea cup down, and it made a crisp clink against the Table.

Those slender eyes scanned Jiang Feng from head to toe, from his implausibly youthful face to the half‑worn gray robe, then glanced at his posture of drinking tea in the corner as if no one were there; the cold smile at the corner of his mouth grew even more evident.

"Senior uncle?"

The Heavenly Envoy's voice was neither loud nor soft, carrying a sharp, thin tone.

"I see this Mr. Jiang is so young, perhaps not even as old as your son, General Qiao? A young man, how can he be your senior uncle? How can he help your Tianzhou Martial Arts defeat Ying Kingdom's warriors? General Qiao, your words are rather far‑fetched."

Du Jianchuan coughed at the right moment from beside.

"Heavenly Envoy, you may not know, I have also heard some rumors about Mr. Jiang. It is said he does have some medical skill and once took a female disciple under the Tianzhou Lin Family, but to claim he can intervene in martial contests and help Commander Qiao defeat the Ying Kingdom's warriors at the Heavenly Person Peak… I think that is exaggerated."

His words were airtight; he neither directly denied Jiang Feng's abilities nor refrained from steering Qiao Zhenyu's statements toward exaggeration.

He glanced at Qiao Zhenyu casually, his gaze bearing a fox‑like shrewdness, then quickly withdrew it, resuming the deferential, concerned expression.

The Heavenly Envoy's complexion grew even more displeased.

His gaze swept back and forth between Du Jianchuan and Qiao Zhenyu twice, paused in silence, and when he spoke again his voice had grown a few degrees colder.

"Qiao Zhenyu, you have great audacity. We, by the Emperor's command, came to confer a great honor upon you. It would be fine if you were ungrateful, but you still speak of a senior uncle here. Do you know that forming factions and seeking personal gain, recruiting free cultivators, and using the name of martial arts to act as a partisan are crimes under imperial law?"

With those words, the atmosphere in the main hall grew even heavier.

The guests tucked their necks in, as if they wanted to bury their heads under the Table, fearing being drawn into this sudden turmoil.

Wu Tong and Lu Zhanlian exchanged a glance, both their faces darkening, yet they did not speak rashly.

Qiao Zhenyu's brows furrowed even tighter.

He glanced at Jiang Feng, still quietly sipping tea in the corner, then at the unfriendly eunuch seated on the main seat, took a deep breath, and his tone remained steady.

"Heavenly Envoy, every word I speak is true. Mr. Jiang truly is my senior uncle, and indeed has rendered great favor to Tianzhou Martial Arts. I, as your subordinate, respect my senior uncle; it is a matter of natural righteousness, not any factionalism."

"Still dare to argue?"

The Heavenly Envoy's voice suddenly rose a few pitches, bearing a solemn authority.

"Qiao Zhenyu, you intend to oppose the Heavenly Family?"

The main hall was so quiet that even the sound of breathing became cautious.

The guests were silent as cold cicadas, no one dared to speak at this moment.

Du Jianchuan's face still wore that worried expression, yet a faint, deeply hidden smugness glimmered in his eyes, like a hunter watching prey step into a trap.

At that moment, Jiang Feng, who had been quietly sipping tea in the corner, set his cup down.

Everyone's gaze instinctively turned that way.

Jiang Feng lifted his head, his gaze landing on the purple‑robed eunuch at the main seat.

"You say Qiao Zhenyu is forming factions and seeking personal gain? Then I ask you, whose faction did he join, and whose private interest did he nurture?"

With those words, the Heavenly Envoy's complexion changed dramatically, and he slammed the Table.

"Audacious troublemaker, you still dare to speak so boldly! Guards, quickly apprehend this troublemaker!"

Du Jianchuan could no longer hold back; hearing that, he immediately spoke.

"Are you all deaf? Hurry and seize this rogue!"

As the words fell, footsteps outside the door already began to echo.

Trained footsteps in a neat rhythm surged in from both sides of the main hall, and a dozen guards in black armor from the Governor‑General's Mansion entered in single file.

They were towering, with long swords at their waists, dark red armbands bound on their arms, each exuding a fierce aura.

Jiang Feng still sat there, the tea cup still poised at his lips, as if he hadn't noticed the guards rushing toward him.

His gaze remained calm and casual, not even flicking his eyelids.

But someone was faster than him.

A figure stepped two strides across the center of the main hall, blocking the guards' path.

Qiao Zhenyu stood there, like a wall that had suddenly risen.

He raised his right palm, palm outward, fingers splayed, and a breath of Heavenly Person Mid‑stage emanated from his body.

Though he deliberately restrained it from erupting, the pressure was enough to make the frontmost guards' steps falter.

"I'll see who dares!"

His gaze swept over the guards frozen in place, over Du Jianchuan's slightly distorted face from the accident, and finally rested on the purple‑robed eunuch.

"Senior Uncle Jiang is a junior brother under the National Teacher! If you dare move him, you are opposing the Celestial Examiner!"

The air in the main hall seemed frozen by something.

The guards' steps abruptly halted, they turned their gazes toward Du Jianchuan, as if awaiting a clear order.

But Du Jianchuan at this moment also froze, his face full of Shock.

How the hell does this involve Si Tianjian!

At this moment even the Angel and the Prince of Fortune's Divine expression is filled with Shock.