Chapter 47: So What If I Killed Him? Kneel Down for Me! (4000-word combined chapter)

Boom—

The rain outside the window grew heavier, as if the Milky Way were pouring down; in the gloomy sky, lightning snakes meandered, illuminating the slightly astonished face of Chu Zhuo.

Chen Mo?

Why is he here too?

Chu Chen, standing to the side, pointed at Chen Mo and shouted angrily, "Father, he is in cahoots with that woman! He had a part in what happened just now too!"

He still remembered the grudge of that kick, and now was the perfect time to settle it all at once!

Chu Zhuo’s expression darkened, "Chen Mo, you took action as well?"

Chen Mo held his wine cup, his tone indifferent, "What, does Lord Chu want to arrest me too?"

"In full view of everyone, you beat someone into serious injury; you must give this old man an explanation!" Chu Zhuo’s voice was cold and stern.

Before Chen Mo could speak, Lin Jingzhu said:

"I was the one who beat him. Riding a horse through a busy street—fifty lashes; that is the explanation I give you."

"Just now, your son beat someone and caused injury; according to the law, he should receive eighty strokes of the cane..."

She glanced at Chu Chen, the corners of her mouth curling up to reveal white teeth, "You still owe me eighty strokes now."

Chu Chen felt a chill down his spine and instinctively backed away.

Suddenly remembering he had backup, he stopped his steps, straightened his back, and said, "Even if I violated the law, the punishment should be meted out by the government office. What right do you have to hit people?"

Clang!

Lin Jingzhu pulled an iron plaque from her bosom and threw it onto the table.

"As a Constable, when a criminal resists arrest with force, this official may determine the punishment according to the crime. Do you have an objection?"

Seeing the character "Constable" engraved on the plaque, Chu Chen was stunned.

This woman had the demeanor of a wanderer, drinking and listening to music in broad daylight, yet she was actually a head constable of the Six Gates?

And she started fighting the moment she arrived; when did she ever give him a chance to resist arrest?

Shangguan Yunfei shook his head.

Lin Jingzhu was a "habitual offender." She knew the *Six Laws of the Great Yuan*, the *Martial Virtue Penal Code*, and the *Commentary on the Yuan Laws* by heart. She could argue even when she was in the wrong, and when she was in the right, she was practically invincible.

Even if this matter were taken to the government office, at most she would be fined two months' salary, which was painless and itchy for her.

Chu Zhuo frowned. The Heavenly Lin Guard was independent of the Six Ministries; he truly did not hold a mere head constable in his eyes.

But Chen Mo was also involved, and this person had been in the limelight recently and was a Battalion Commander just like him. The matter was likely tricky... He couldn't make up his mind for a moment.

At this time, the purple-robed guard standing behind him said impatiently, "Lord Chu, resolve this quickly; do not delay the important business."

These words served as a reminder to Chu Zhuo.

Young Master Zhou sent people to follow him, likely to see his capabilities. If he couldn't even handle such a small matter, how could he be entrusted with important tasks?

Anyway, the feud with Chen Mo was already forged, so he didn't care about offending him once more. Only by clinging to the Zhou family's thigh would he have a chance to turn things around in the future!

Thinking of this, Chu Zhuo’s gaze turned cold, and he decided to start by cutting down this little constable!

He raised his hand and waved; crimson true qi condensed in the air to form a giant palm, which he slammed down toward Lin Jingzhu from a distance!

Lin Jingzhu showed no fear; her long staff shimmered with black light as she collided with the giant hand!

Boom!

The staff and palm collided, and the surging air wave blew the window lattice away!

Lin Jingzhu’s clothes billowed, but she did not move an inch, holding the staff with one hand and firmly resisting the giant palm!

A trace of surprise flashed in the depths of Chu Zhuo’s eyes.

"A Sixth-Rank martial artist?"

"No wonder you are so confident, but you have provoked the wrong person!"

"Today, this old man will let you know how big the gap is between the Sixth Rank and the Fifth Rank!"

As his palm pressed down, the crimson giant palm was like a blood cloud covering the sky; the black-gold long staff remained straight and unbent, yet Lin Jingzhu’s figure was pressed down inch by inch.

Crack, crack—

Her bones and muscles made strange sounds, and her body trembled slightly, as if she had reached her limit.

"Brother Shangguan, your colleague seems to be unable to hold on," Chen Mo reminded.

Shangguan Yunfei’s expression was calm as he shook his head, "Rest assured, this is just the beginning. A disciple of Xue Wu-kui is not so easily defeated."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Jingzhu took a deep breath, and frost actually condensed in the breath she exhaled.

A wisp of ghostly light spread across her body, and black ice covered her entire form, forming a suit of armor—a strange beast, the Yazi, was carved on the chest, Chiwen beast heads crouched on both shoulders, and sharp spikes were on her elbows and knees. She looked fierce and terrifying, like a humanoid weapon!

The pair of eyes exposed outside were like ghost fire, gazing gloomily at Chu Zhuo.

Seeing this scene, Chu Zhuo couldn't help but feel a slight shock in his heart, then he sneered, "Flaunting your skills, all flash and no substance!"

The giant palm swept across the sky and slammed down fiercely!

Lin Jingzhu did not stand there to be beaten; her figure flashed into mid-air like lightning. She flicked the black-gold long staff in her hand, and crescent blades popped out from both ends. In an instant, the staff turned into a double-headed halberd, whistling as it slashed toward Chu Zhuo’s neck!

Chu Zhuo waved his giant palm, knocking her away as if swatting a fly.

However, what he hit was only an afterimage. Lin Jingzhu lowered her body and crashed into his embrace, lifting her knee to strike, the sharp ice spike stabbing toward his chest!

Sss—

The spike entered his body an inch before being clamped by his muscles, and a wisp of blood dripped onto the ground along the ice spike!

Chu Zhuo’s expression was extremely gloomy. Although he hadn't used his full strength, he had actually been wounded by a Sixth-Rank girl?

"You're courting death!"

Boom!

Chu Zhuo’s white hair flew, and crimson air waves circled his body; he punched Lin Jingzhu, sending her flying!

In mid-air, Lin Jingzhu twisted her body, frost spraying from beneath her feet, and she crashed toward Chu Zhuo again with the momentum of a meteor!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two tangled together, their movements as fast as lightning; one could not see their actions clearly, only a mass of crimson flame and a streak of black ice entwined.

True qi surged and churned; walls collapsed, tables and chairs shattered, and the entire second floor was almost reduced to ruins!

The more Chu Zhuo fought, the more alarmed he became. This girl’s combat awareness was shockingly strong, and she did not fall behind in close-quarters combat. Furthermore, that black ice armor was exceptionally hard; he couldn't break through it in a short time. The two were actually evenly matched!

"The Six Gates has such a prodigy?"

Chu Zhuo was provoked into a real rage. He pulled back, crimson flames condensed in his palms, and two strangely shaped red curved blades appeared out of thin air.

"To be able to force this old man to use his Martial Soul, you can be proud of yourself."

Chu Zhuo slashed with both blades, crimson flames surging.

Lin Jingzhu tried to block with her black staff, but her movement was half a beat slow. The crimson flame blade slashed her left arm, melting the ice armor and leaving a deep, bone-reaching cut on her fair skin!

The blade strikes were as dense as rain, shattered ice flew everywhere, and the black ice armor melted rapidly, filling the air with vast water vapor.

A Fifth Rank is a Fifth Rank after all; after he used his Martial Soul, Lin Jingzhu immediately fell into a disadvantage.

Although she was still struggling to hold on, defeat was only a matter of time.

In the ruins, only the table in front of Chen Mo remained intact.

He poured himself a cup of wine and said, "Brother Shangguan, it seems we are really going to lose this time."

Shangguan Yunfei nodded, "The opponent is a veteran Fifth Rank after all; to be able to fight like this is already quite good. It looks like she can hold on for at most another stick of incense."

Chen Mo asked in confusion, "Then why don't you go help?"

Shangguan Yunfei spread his hands, "I can't even beat Lin Jingzhu; wouldn't going up there be courting death? Besides, with Lord Chen here, it wouldn't be my turn to step up."

Chen Mo frowned, "What does this matter have to do with me?"

Shangguan Yunfei said with a straight face, "Lord Chen was also involved in the street beating, and this old man is one of your Heavenly Lin Guard people; how could it have nothing to do with you?"

"As the person in charge, Lord Chen hasn't solved the case yet, and Constable Lin has already been beaten into serious injury... When Her Majesty the Empress holds someone accountable, she won't be able to find my head."

Chen Mo: "..."

He looked Shangguan Yunfei up and down, "You look quite honest..."

Shangguan Yunfei smiled, "Lord, your judgment of people is truly accurate; I am a famously honest person."

Chen Mo couldn't be bothered to deal with this animal and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Bang!

Chu Zhuo kicked Lin Jingzhu away.

Lin Jingzhu plowed two furrows into the ground with her feet, barely steadying herself. Her black ice armor was in tatters, revealing delicate skin on her arms and calves, marked with streaks of blood.

Her eyes remained as calm as a lake.

Operating the Nine-Turn Ice Soul Art, she could ensure absolute calmness even at the moment of life and death.

"Even if I use that move, it might not turn the situation around; the Pure Yang Realm Martial Soul is too difficult to deal with..."

Chu Zhuo did not intend to give her a chance to catch her breath; he flashed over, his curved blades slashing down from the air!

Roar!

The roar was deafening!

Chu Zhuo’s mind trembled, his movements involuntarily freezing. A shadow flashed past the corner of his eye, seemingly possessing deer antlers, snake scales, and eagle claws...

Before he could see clearly what it was, a sharp pain struck him, and his whole body crashed through the wall and flew backward, slamming into the vast curtain of rain!

Bang!

Chu Zhuo fell onto the street, a huge gash opened in his waist, revealing white bones; blood flowed out in a gurgle, merging into the brick seams beneath him, only to be quickly washed away by the rain.

He looked up blankly, only to see Chen Mo standing tall, holding a wine pot in his left hand and a long blade in his right; the blade was forged like jade, covered in shattered ice patterns, emitting bursts of clanging sounds.

Black hair danced in the wind and rain, with an indescribable air of wanton wildness!

"What kind of blade technique is this?"

Chu Zhuo could not believe it.

The power of that strike gave him a sense of trepidation, as if he were about to be cut in half at the waist!

A sixth-realm martial artist had actually threatened his life!

"Presumptuous!"

Clang—

Clang—

Seeing that the situation was not right, the two purple-robed guards turned cold, drew the long blades at their waists, and leaped forward.

"The Green Dragon in the Sleeve compresses true qi and explodes with full force; if an ordinary sixth-realm martial artist were to unleash one strike, their true qi would likely be drained dry."

"But my true qi is nearly inexhaustible. If I were to integrate the Green Dragon blade intent into the Blazing Flame Eight Slashes, stacking the blade momentum, layer upon layer, to push the power to its limit... what would happen then?"

Chen Mo shifted his footing, parrying attacks while pondering, a vague sense of enlightenment lingering in his heart.

Fusing two martial arts was not as simple as he had imagined.

The circulation paths of the true qi were different; it was like two rivers colliding, tearing his meridians instantly, only for them to be rapidly repaired by his vital essence.

Through trial after trial, he seemed to have found a viable path...

The two purple-robed guards felt something was strange.

This person's blade technique was chaotic and disorganized, his true qi scattered, as if he had never really handled a blade before.

"He probably only knows that one move; once his true qi is drained, he won't be able to keep it up."

"Finish it quickly!"

The two exchanged a glance, one aiming for the head, the other for the waist, the blade wind biting and cold!

Yet, what greeted them was a blade light of extreme brilliance!

Roar!

Against the backdrop of the gloomy sky, a massive green dragon whistled in, black flames surging from the gaps in its scales, instantly swallowing the two!

Not far away, inside a black sedan chair, two people sat facing each other.

A small stove was set on the table between them, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of tea.

"My Lord Heir, is a mere Battalion Commander of the Heavenly Unicorn Guard worth you putting in so much effort?"

The young gentleman, dressed in light blue brocade robes, held a white jade teapot and poured the tea into a cup.

Chu Heng leaned back in the soft chair, his narrow eyes slightly squinted. "Chu Zhuo has no real value; he is old and lacks ability, and will likely retire in a few years... but he is enough to use for the time being."

"It is inconvenient for me to show my face. You keep him on a tight leash, and you can give him some benefits as appropriate."

Now that the demon clan murder case has reached the Eastern Palace, the Empress has personally appointed Chen Mo to lead the investigation.

This gave Chu Heng an inexplicable sense of crisis.

To figure out Chen Mo's movements, he must plant a few eyes within the Heavenly Unicorn Guard, and since Chu Zhuo has a terrible relationship with Chen Mo and no background, he is the best target to win over.

"How is the matter with the mine going?"

Chu Heng rubbed the jade cup with his fingers and asked.

Zhou Jing'an replied, "Seventy percent has already been mined; we expect to finish by the end of the month."

Chu Heng nodded. "The wind is blowing tight lately, so be careful... This Chen Mo is very difficult to deal with; we absolutely cannot leave any traces."

"Yes."

Zhou Jing'an acknowledged.

After waiting for a long while, Chu Zhuo and the others had not returned.

Zhou Jing'an frowned slightly. "It's been nearly half an hour; they can't even handle this small matter? This Chu Zhuo really is a piece of..."

Before the word "trash" could be uttered, a thunderous boom suddenly erupted.

The two lifted the sedan curtain to look and were instantly stunned.

They saw the second-floor wall of the Drunken Moon Pavilion smashed in, with Chu Zhuo lying in the middle of the street, half his body drenched in blood, nearly cut in half at the waist!

Chu Zhuo was a fifth-realm martial artist, after all; how could he be beaten like this?

Before they could recover, two more figures flew out.

Bang! Bang!

The two fell to the ground, their purple robes stained black with blood, gasping their last breaths, clearly on the verge of death.

Zhou Jing'an could no longer sit still; these were the personal guards of the Prince Yu's Mansion!

Looking at Chu Heng's gloomy expression, he knew this was a precursor to a violent rage, so he hurriedly stood up and said, "My Lord Heir, please sit for a moment; I will go see what is happening."

Zhou Jing'an walked off the sedan chair and brought a group of guards to stand before Chu Zhuo.

"What happened?"

"Young Master Zhou..."

Chu Zhuo struggled to stand, his old face flushed red, both ashamed and furious. "A Six Fan School constable, he's a bit difficult, and Chen Mo—he, he doesn't follow the martial code, he ambushed this old man!"

"Chen Mo? He is here too?"

Zhou Jing'an's brow twitched.

"Young Master, my son is still inside, he might be in danger..." Chu Zhuo said in a low voice.

"Let's go, let's go in and see."

Zhou Jing'an led his men into the restaurant.

The entire Drunken Moon Pavilion was already deserted, and the group stomped up to the second floor.

Amidst the ruins, three people were drinking and toasting, the collapsed walls and the gloomy wind and rain adding a touch of heroism to the scene.

Chu Chen was huddled in a corner, his face pale and trembling.

"Lord Chen, what was that blade technique just now? Even a fifth-realm expert couldn't block it," Shangguan Yunfei exclaimed.

Chen Mo glanced at him. "Do you want to try it too?"

"...That won't be necessary." Shangguan Yunfei knew he was in a bad mood and dared not provoke him.

Lin Jingzhu's clothes were torn and her body was covered in bloodstains, but she did not seem to care at all.

With one foot on a stool and a wine cup in her hand, her clear eyes were fixed on Chen Mo.

"Lord Chen, a toast to you!"

"Hmm."

The two clinked glasses and drank in one gulp.

A blush appeared on Lin Jingzhu's fair, delicate face, like morning clouds reflecting on snow, her red lips crystal-clear and soft. "That blade of yours is nice; can I borrow it to look?"

Chen Mo raised his hand and tossed it over.

Lin Jingzhu caught it backhanded, her fingers lightly brushing the blade; the peerlessly sharp aura made her fingertips ache slightly.

"A good blade! At least a mid-grade Heaven-tier treasure! It doesn't seem to be recorded on the Weapon Ranking..."

"A gift from someone. This blade is called Shatter... Shatter-Shatter Peace."

"Shatter-Shatter Peace? What a strange name..."

"Chen Mo, you have a lot of nerve!"

At this moment, a cold voice rang out.

Zhou Jing'an walked over with large strides, and the guards behind him stepped forward quickly, surrounding the group.

Seeing the young gentleman in brocade robes, a flash of surprise crossed Chen Mo's eyes, and then he looked at Chu Zhuo following behind, seemingly understanding something, a strange smile curling the corner of his mouth.

It couldn't have come at a better time...

"Young Master Zhou, it's them!"

"Assaulting imperial officials, treating human life like grass, acting recklessly—they are guilty of heinous crimes!"

Chu Zhuo clutched his old waist and said angrily.

Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Chu Chen's spine stiffened again; he stood up and looked at the group triumphantly.

Zhou Jing'an's voice was cold and sharp. "Chen Mo, do you know what you are doing? Committing murder in the street—even Lord Chen cannot protect you!"

Chen Mo glanced at him. "So what if I killed them?"

Zhou Jing'an's eyes narrowed. "You are drunk. Shall I send you to the Ministry of Justice prison to sober up?"

Chen Mo toyed with the wine cup in his hand and said indifferently, "I am indeed drunk, but you are the one who needs to sober up."

As he spoke, he took an object from his bosom and tossed it over.

Zhou Jing'an reflexively reached out to catch it, looked down, and his pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints!

It was a golden token, engraved with a phoenix spreading its wings and the rising sun!

"You see the Flying Phoenix Token and do not kneel? Zhou Jing'an, you have a lot of nerve!" Chen Mo looked at him with cold, mocking eyes.

Boom!

Like a thunderbolt from the blue!

Zhou Jing'an's body trembled violently!