Chapter 47

Boom—

The rain outside intensified, as if the Milky Way had overturned; dark skies crackled with lightning, illuminating Chu Zhuo's slightly stunned face.

Chen Mo?

How is he here too?

Beside him, Chu Chen pointed at Chen Mo and roared, "Father, he's in cahoots with that woman— he was involved in what just happened!"

He still remembered that kick—he'd settle the score now, all at once!

Chu Zhuo's expression darkened slightly. "Chen Mo, you also laid hands on someone?"

Chen Mo held his wine cup, voice calm. "What, my lord wants to arrest me too?"

"Before all these witnesses, you injured a man severely—you owe me an explanation!" Chu Zhuo's voice turned icy.

Before Chen Mo could speak, Lin Jingzhu spoke up:

"I struck him. Riding through the marketplace and causing harm—fifty strokes of the cane. That's my explanation."

"Just now, your son assaulted someone and caused injury—by law, he deserves eighty strokes…"

She glanced at Chu Chen, lips curling to reveal white teeth. "You still owe me eighty blows, you know."

Chu Chen's back chilled; he instinctively shrank back.

Then he remembered he had backup—he halted, straightened his spine, and said, "Even if I broke the law, punishment must come from the authorities. What right do you have to strike me?"

Clang!

Lin Jingzhu pulled an iron badge from her robe and threw it onto the table.

"As a Capture Inspector, when a criminal resists arrest with weapons, I am authorized to mete out punishment. Do you have an objection?"

Seeing the character "捕" carved on the badge, Chu Chen froze.

This woman, dressed like a rogue, drinking and listening to music in broad daylight—was she really a Head Inspector of the Six Gates?

And she'd attacked outright—when had she given him a chance to resist arrest?

Shangguan Yunfei shook his head.

Lin Jingzhu was a "repeat offender"—she had memorized every law: The Great Yuan Six Codes, The Martial Virtue Penal Code, The Yuan Code Annotations… She could twist logic into three parts even without reason; with reason, she was unbeatable.

Even if this went to court, she'd only lose two months' salary—barely a pinprick to her.

Chu Zhuo frowned. The Tianlin Guard operated outside the Six Ministries; a mere Head Inspector meant nothing to him.

But Chen Mo was involved too—this man was currently in the spotlight, and they were both Hundred Commanders; this situation might get complicated… He hesitated.

At that moment, the purple-robed bodyguard behind him snapped impatiently: "My lord, resolve this quickly—don't delay the matter."

His words jolted Chu Zhuo awake.

Young Master Zhou had sent someone to observe him—if he couldn't handle even this small matter, how could he be entrusted with greater responsibilities?

The feud with Chen Mo was already sealed; one more offense wouldn't matter. Only by clinging tightly to the Zhou family's coat-tails could he ever hope to rise again!

Thinking this, Chu Zhuo's gaze turned cold—he decided to make an example of this little inspector first!

He raised his hand; crimson Qi coalesced into a colossal palm that descended through air toward Lin Jingzhu.

Lin Jingzhu showed no fear; her black staff glowed with dark light as she charged straight into the giant palm.

Boom!

The staff and palm collided—explosive shockwaves ripped the window frames clean off their hinges!

Lin Jingzhu's robes flared but didn't stir; she held the staff in one hand, firmly holding back the giant palm.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Zhuo's eyes.

"Sixth-rank martialist?"

"No wonder you're so bold—but you picked the wrong man!"

"Today, I'll show you the gap between sixth-rank and fifth-rank!"

As he pressed his palm down, the crimson palm loomed like a blood-cloud overhead; the black-gold staff remained unbent, yet Lin Jingzhu's body was slowly, inch by inch, crushed downward.

Crack—crack—

Her bones and tendons groaned; her body trembled slightly, as if pushed beyond her limit.

"Senior Shangguan, your colleague seems about to break," Chen Mo remarked.

Shangguan Yunfei remained calm, shaking his head. "Don't worry—this is only the beginning. Xue Wukui's disciple isn't that easy to defeat."

No sooner had he spoken than Lin Jingzhu drew a deep breath—and when she exhaled, frost crystallized in the air.

A thread of eerie light spread across her body; black ice encased her entirely, forming armor—on her chest, the beast Yazi was carved; on her shoulders, Chiwen beasts devoured the edges; at elbows and knees, sharp ice spikes jutted out—fierce, monstrous, like a living weapon!

Her exposed eyes glowed like ghost-fire, fixed coldly on Chu Zhuo.

Seeing this, Chu Zhuo couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease—then he sneered. "Showy nonsense. Cheap theatrics!"

The giant palm slashed through air and slammed down!

Lin Jingzhu didn't stand still to take it—she shot upward like lightning; her black-gold staff trembled, and twin crescent blades snapped out from both ends, transforming it instantly from a mid-height staff into a double-headed yue—she slashed toward Chu Zhuo's throat with a whistling scream!

Chu Zhuo swung the giant palm like swatting a fly, striking her away.

But he hit only an afterimage—Lin Jingzhu dropped low, lunged into his chest, drove her knee upward, and thrust a sharp ice spike toward his heart!

Hiss—

The spike pierced an inch into his flesh before being clamped by muscle; a drop of blood trailed down the ice onto the floor.

Chu Zhuo's face turned murderous. He hadn't used his full strength—and yet a sixth-rank girl had wounded him?

"Die!"

Boom!

Chu Zhuo's white hair whipped wildly as crimson Qi surged around him—he punched, sending Lin Jingzhu flying across the room!

Mid-air, Lin Jingzhu twisted her body, ice erupting beneath her feet like a meteor as she hurtled back toward Chu Zhuo!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two clashed together, movements swift as lightning, too fast to discern—only a tangle of crimson flame and black ice could be seen.

True Qi surged violently; walls collapsed, tables and chairs shattered, the entire second floor nearly reduced to rubble!

Chu Zhixin grew more alarmed with each strike—this girl's battle awareness was astonishing, matching him blow for blow in close combat without yielding. And that black ice armor was extraordinarily hard; he couldn't pierce it in a short time. The two were evenly matched!

"Does the Six Gates Bureau have such a prodigy?"

Chu Zhixin, truly enraged, retreated a step, gathering crimson flame in his palm—two strangely shaped red curved blades materialized out of thin air.

"You've forced the old man to use his Martial Soul—you have reason to be proud."

Chu Zhixin slashed diagonally with both blades; crimson flame surged forth.

Lin Jingzhu tried to block with his black staff, but was half a beat too slow—the crimson curved blade slashed his left arm, melting the ice armor and leaving a deep gash down to the bone on Bai Xi's skin!

The blade strikes came like rain, shards of ice flying everywhere; the black ice armor melted rapidly, filling the air with thick mist.

Rank 5 is still Rank 5—once he unleashed his Martial Soul, Lin Jingzhu immediately fell on the defensive.

Though she still struggled to hold on, defeat was merely a matter of time.

……

Amid the ruins, only the table before Chen Mo remained intact.

He poured himself a cup of wine and said, "Senior Shang, it seems this time you're truly going to lose."

Shang Yunfei nodded. "He's a Veteran Rank 5. For her to fight this well is already impressive—she'll barely last another incense stick's time."

Chen Mo frowned. "Then why don't you help her?"

Shang Yunfei spread his hands. "I can't even beat Lin Jingzhu—what, go up there and get myself killed? Besides, with Chen my lord here, how could it possibly fall to me to step forward?"

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes. "What does this have to do with me?"

Shang Yunfei spoke solemnly. "You were involved in the street brawl. This old man is from your Tianlin Guard—how could it not concern you?"

"As the host, the case remains unsolved, and Captain Lin is already critically wounded… When the Empress Dowager demands accountability, you won't find me to blame."

Chen Mo: "…"

He studied Shang Yunfei from head to toe. "You look like a fairly honest man…"

Shang Yunfei smiled warmly. "my lord sees people truly clearly—I'm famously honest."

Chen Mo ignored this beast, downing his cup of wine in one gulp.

……

Thud!

Chu Zhixin kicked Lin Jingzhu flying.

Lin Jingzhu's feet gouged two furrows in the ground as she barely stabilized herself—her black ice armor was shattered, exposing tender skin on her arms and calves, crisscrossed with bloody cuts.

Her eyes remained as calm as a still lake.

The Nine-Turn Ice Soul Technique churned within her—even at the brink of death, she maintained absolute calm.

"Even if I used that technique, it might not turn the tide… Pure Yang Martial Souls are too stubborn to overcome…"

Chu Zhixin gave her no chance to recover—he lunged forward, his curved blade slicing down from above!

Roar!

The bellow shook the very air!

Chu Zhixin's spirit trembled, his movements freezing—the corners of his eyes flickered with a shadow: antlers, snake scales, eagle talons…

Before he could make out what it was, searing pain erupted—he crashed through the wall and flew backward into the torrential rain!

Thud!

Chu Zhixin landed on the street, a massive gash split open across his waist, exposing white bone, blood gushing out, pooling into the cracks beneath him, swiftly diluted by the rain.

He looked up dazedly—Chen Mo stood tall, left hand holding a wine flask, right hand gripping a long blade, its surface forged like jade, etched with shattered ice patterns, humming faintly.

His black hair whipped wildly in the wind and rain, utterly untamed and reckless!

"What sword art is that?"

Chu Zhixin could not believe it.

The power of that single slash filled him with dread—as if he'd been cut clean in half!

A Rank 6 martial cultivator had just threatened his life!

"Insolent!"

Clang—

Clang—

Seeing the situation turn, two purple-robed guards' faces hardened—they drew their long swords and leapt forward.

"The Dragon in the Sleeve compresses True Qi and unleashes it fully—a Rank 6's single slash would drain all his True Qi."

"But my True Qi is nearly inexhaustible—if I fuse the Dragon Blade Intent into the Eight Blazes Slash, layering the strikes, escalating the power to its peak… what then?"

Chen Mo shifted his steps, parrying their attacks while pondering, a faint insight lingering in his mind.

Merging two martial techniques was not as simple as he imagined.

The True Qi pathways differed—like two rivers colliding, his meridians tore instantly, then were swiftly repaired by life essence.

Through repeated attempts, he seemed to have found a viable path…

The two purple-robed guards felt something was odd.

This man's swordplay was chaotic, his True Qi scattered—he looked like he'd never held a blade before.

"He probably only knows that one move. Once his True Qi is drained, he's done for."

"Finish him quickly!"

They exchanged glances—one aimed for the head, the other for the waist; their blade winds bit cold as ice!

However, what greeted them was a blade-light dazzling to the extreme!

Roar!

Against the dim sky, a colossal azure dragon swept in howling, black flames surging through the gaps between its scales, and in an instant swallowed the two whole!

……

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

A small brazier was set up on a little table between them, and the faint fragrance of tea filled the air.

"Young Master, a mere hundred-man commander of the Tianlin Guard—is he worth all this trouble on your part?"

A young lord in a pale-blue brocade robe of fine attire held a Bai Yu teapot and poured the tea into a cup.

Chu Heng leaned back in the cushioned chair, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed. "Chu Zhuo has no real use to speak of—his years are advanced, his ability lacking; he'll probably step down in a few years… but for the time being, making use of him is enough."

"It's not convenient for me to show myself. Tie the man down tight, and you may hand out a few suitable benefits."

Now the demon-tribe murder case had already made its way to the Eastern Palace, and the Empress had personally appointed Chen Mo as the case's chief investigator.

This stirred an inexplicable sense of crisis in Chu Heng's heart.

To get a clear read on Chen Mo's movements, he had to plant a few eyes inside the Tianlin Guard, and Chu Zhuo—who had terrible relations with Chen Mo and no background to speak of—was the best target to win over.

"How goes the matter of the mine?"

Chu Heng asked, his fingers tracing the jade cup.

Zhou Jingan answered, "Seventy percent has already been extracted. We expect to wrap up by month's end."

Chu Heng nodded. "The wind has been very tight lately—caution above all… This Chen Mo is a hard one to deal with. Under no circumstances must we show any slip."

"Yes."

Zhou Jingan responded.

After waiting half a beat, Chu Zhuo and the others still had not returned.

Zhou Jingan's brow knit slightly. "It's been nearly an hour already, and they can't even handle a small matter like this? This Chu Zhuo really is a waste…"

The word "waste" had not yet left his mouth when a thunderous boom suddenly rang out.

The two flung open the sedan curtains to look, and froze on the spot.

They saw the second-floor wall of Zuiyue Lou smashed open, with Chu Zhuo lying in the middle of the street, blood streaming down half his body—he had nearly been cut clean in two at the waist!

Chu Zhuo was, after all, a fifth-rank martial artist—how could someone have beaten him to such a state?

Before they could collect themselves, immediately following that, two more figures flew out.

Bang! Bang!

The two crashed to the ground, their purple robes stained black with blood, barely clinging to life—clearly more breath going out than coming in.

Zhou Jingan could no longer sit still—these were the personal guards of the Yu Wang Fu!

Seeing Chu Heng's dark expression, he knew this was the prelude to a violent rage. He scrambled up hastily and said, "Young Master, please sit a moment. I'll go see what's happening."

Zhou Jingan stepped down from the sedan and, leading a group of guards, came before Chu Zhuo.

"What's going on?"

"Young Master Zhou…"

Chu Zhuo struggled to rise, his old face flushing red—ashamed and furious both. "A constable from the Six Doors is a bit of a handful, and then there's Chen Mo—he, he doesn't fight fair, he ambushed me!"

"Chen Mo? He's here too?"

Zhou Jingan's brow gave a jump.

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

"Let's go, in and have a look."

Zhou Jingan led his men into the tavern.

The whole of Zuiyue Lou had long since been emptied of people; the group went "thud thud thud" up to the second floor.

Amid a stretch of ruins, three people were raising cups in hearty drinking; the wall had collapsed, wind and rain lashing down like dusk—lending the scene a touch of bold grandeur.

Chu Chen crouched with his head in his hands in a corner, face deathly pale, shivering all over.

"Lord Chen, what blade art was that just now? Even a fifth-rank couldn't take it." Shangguan Yunfei exclaimed in admiration.

Chen Mo shot him a glance. "You want to try it too?"

"…No need for that." Shangguan Yunfei knew he was in a foul mood—how would he dare to rub him the wrong way?

Lin Jingzhu's clothes were torn, her body crisscrossed with bloody welts, yet she paid it no heed at all.

One foot propped on a bench, a wine cup in hand, her clear, bright eyes fixed on Chen Mo.

"Lord Chen, a toast to you!"

"Mm."

The two clinked cups and drained them in one go.

Lin Jingzhu's snow-soft cheeks flushed a faint rose, like morning clouds against snow; her Zhu Chun lips were crystalline and pink. "That blade of yours isn't bad—let me have a look?"

Chen Mo raised his hand and tossed it over.

Lin Jingzhu caught it with a backhanded grip, her fingers lightly tracing the edge—the incomparably sharp aura made her fingertips sting.

"Fine blade! At the very least a mid-grade Heaven-rank treasure! It doesn't seem to be recorded on the Weapon Rankings…"

"It was a gift from someone. The blade is called Sui… Suisui Ping'an."

"Suisui Ping'an? What a strange name…"

"Chen Mo, you've got some nerve!"

At that moment, an icy voice rang out.

Zhou Jingan strode over, his guards rushing up behind him and surrounding the group tightly.

At the sight of that brocade-robed young lord, a flicker of surprise passed through Chen Mo's eyes. He glanced again at Chu Zhuo following behind, and seemed to grasp something; the corner of his mouth curled into a strange smile.

Coming at the right time beats coming in force...

"Young Master Zhou, it's them!"

"Assaulting an imperial court official, treating human life as worthless, acting with reckless abandon—utterly unforgivable!"

Chu Zhuo clutched his aching back and said in a furious voice.

Chu Chen, seeing that reinforcements had arrived, instantly straightened his spine again. He stood up and looked at the group with an air of smug triumph.

Zhou Jingan's voice was cold and harsh. "Chen Mo, do you know what you're doing? Committing murder in broad daylight—even Lord Chen couldn't protect you!"

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

Zhou Jingan's eyes narrowed. "You're drunk. Shall I have you sent to the Ministry of Justice's prison to sober up?"

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

As he spoke, he pulled something from his chest and tossed it over with a flick of his hand.

Zhou Jingan caught it on reflex. He looked down—and his pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints!

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

"You see the Flying Phoenix Token and still don't kneel? Zhou Jingan, you have quite the nerve!" Chen Mo watched him with cold, mocking eyes.

Boom!

As if five thunderbolts had struck his head!

Zhou Jingan's body gave a violent shudder!