Chapter 61: Tear This Imperial Court Down to the Foundations!

The demon race case is solved?

The great hall was deathly silent, and all eyes turned toward Chen Zhuo.

Even his allies among the censors were stunned; a Supervising Secretary of the Six Ministries whispered:

"Lord Chen, don't be impulsive. Zhou Chuanbing has no evidence; he cannot threaten the Young Master."

"That's right, this is a trap to provoke you. You must not fall for it."

That demon's movements were mysterious and it ignored the grand array; the Demon Suppression Division had turned the entire Tiandu City upside down without finding a single clue... and suddenly the case is solved?

How is that possible?

To be honest, if he hadn't seen the contents of that projection stone, even Chen Zhuo himself wouldn't have believed it.

Zhou Chuanbing was taken aback and asked, "Since the case is solved, where is the demon now?"

Chen Zhuo said indifferently, "Not a bone left."

"Hahaha!"

Zhou Chuanbing couldn't help but laugh out loud, clapping his hands mockingly: "A fine 'not a bone left'! In other words, whether this demon is dead or not depends entirely on Lord Chen's word?"

Yan Peizhi gave a cold snort and shook his head: "Handling a case like this is certainly easy."

"With the recent strict inspections in the city, the demon wouldn't dare show its face. If Lord Chen says it's dead, then it's dead!"

"What if the demon commits another crime in a while?"

"That would be the work of another demon; what does that have to do with this case?"

"Haha, reasonable. Lord Chen truly has fine methods!"

The ministers of the Six Ministries sang in harmony, their tone dripping with sarcasm.

And the censors, who were most skilled at scolding, were now looking at each other, not knowing what to do.

They had originally held a glimmer of hope, but that phrase "not a bone left" caused their hearts to plummet to the bottom.

Logically, Chen Zhuo shouldn't have fallen for such a shallow provocation; he must have been so desperate to protect his son that he made a foolish move!

How muddled!

Even if this case hadn't been solved, it would at most be "inefficiency in handling affairs." Chen Mo was young, after all; even if he were demoted by a rank, it wouldn't be a major blow in the long run.

But if it turned into "deceiving the Emperor," then the matter would become huge! The Empress was just waiting for an excuse; she might even drag the entire Chen family down with him!

At this moment, the Prefect of Jingzhao, Cui Hao, stepped out and took the opportunity to kick him while he was down:

"The demon is dead? How come this official hasn't heard of this?"

"However, I have heard that the government office's capture commissioners went to find Chen Mo many times to discuss the case and formulate a search plan. But Chen Mo refused to see them, acting as if it were none of his business, and didn't take this case to heart at all."

"Could it be that if one just sits at home, the demon will deliver itself to the door?"

The ministers of the Six Ministries burst into laughter again.

"Ahem."

At this moment, the Empress gave a light cough.

"Silence!"

Eunuch Jin's voice was high and sharp, causing the ministers' eardrums to ring, and they instantly fell silent.

From behind the bamboo screen came a faint voice:

"Lord Chen, empty words carry no weight. You say the demon is dead, surely you must produce some evidence?"

Chen Zhuo replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, since this humble official has made such a statement, I naturally have true and solid evidence."

"Oh?"

Seeing him so confident, the Empress's voice held a hint of curiosity, "Where is the evidence?"

Chen Zhuo presented a projection stone, "The entire process of hunting the demon has been recorded within. Please, Your Highness, take a look."

Eunuch Jin walked over and reached out to take it.

Before handing it to the Empress, he naturally had to inspect it first.

Just as his spiritual sense sank into it, the round stone in his hand suddenly trembled, and a massive image was projected above the great hall.

?!

Eunuch Jin's brows furrowed as he attempted to cut off the image.

However, the projection stone emitted a cyan-green light, hanging in the air and blocking his spiritual power; no matter how he tried, it remained motionless, and he could only watch helplessly as the scene played out.

Eunuch Jin's heart sank.

It was Imperial Consort Yu...

The ministers looked at the pitch-black screen, completely bewildered.

"Lord Chen, is this the evidence you spoke of?"

"Are you taking us to see the night view of Tiandu City?"

Chen Zhuo remained silent.

Zhou Chuanbing's expression, however, shifted slightly.

They saw that under the cover of night, a figure emerged from the back gate of the Zhou residence and slipped silently into an alley with another person.

Subsequently, the perspective switched to Chen Mo, who followed them the whole way, climbed into a deserted house, and left Tiandu City through a tunnel.

Seeing this scene, the expressions of the ministers were already looking wrong.

This was the capital of the Great Yuan; privately crossing the border and damaging city defenses could be treated entirely as treason!

Continuing to watch, Chen Mo met up with Lin Jingzhu and tracked them all the way to West Desolate Mountain.

Chen Mo broke through the array, entered the cave, and followed the stone steps downward until he reached the interior of the mountain, where the view suddenly opened up—

A massive mine cave nearly a hundred meters high appeared before everyone's eyes!

"What?!"

"This, this is red sand ore!"

"Privately mining red sand is tantamount to treason; are they planning to rebel!"

"Looking at the scale of this mine, it has been excavated for at least half a year. Who has such audacity?"

In an instant, the great hall was in an uproar; the ministers were shocked, the noise reaching the heavens!

Yet they were still somewhat confused: they were clearly investigating a demon, so how did it involve mining?

Soon, their doubts were answered—

A cold wind whistled, and ear-piercing howls made one's heart and gallbladder chill!

A demon!

Chen Mo quickly fled the mine pit, and a moment later, a figure chased after him.

After seeing that person's face clearly, the color instantly drained from Zhou Chuanbing's cheeks.

"Zhou Li?!"

"How could it be him..."

[Quick, act now! You must not let them leave!]

[Battalion Commander Chu, kill Chen Mo immediately! The Young Master will have a great reward afterward!]

Zhou Li's voice echoed in the great hall, and the expressions of the ministers were colorful and varied.

It's over!

Zhou Chuanbing's body swayed, and he actually stumbled.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his official robes, and his ears were ringing so loudly that he could no longer hear anything.

The ministers who had just been following Zhou Chuanbing's lead had their expressions change drastically; they moved their feet, wishing they could be as far away from him as possible.

However, the battle was far from over.

The demon's strength exceeded everyone's expectations.

The demonic energy blotted out the sky and sun, the momentum was incredibly terrifying, and the demon, wrapped in gray mist, swept over. The wails of ghosts and gods rang in their ears, making them feel as if they were right in the middle of it!

The ministers let out a series of gasps.

Some civil officials turned pale, needing to lean on the hall pillars just to stand.

These high-ranking officials who had long lived in the imperial court—when had they ever seen such a life-and-death struggle?

"This demon seems to have an undying body; it can regenerate even after being decapitated. How can it be killed?"

"Fortunately, there is this Battalion Commander Shen; it must have been him who killed the demon."

"But why does it feel like he is also at a disadvantage..."

The military officials were still calm, though their expressions were slightly grave.

This demon's strength was comparable to a Fourth-Rank expert; to them, it wasn't much, but if it were to go on a killing spree in the city and slaughter civilians, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Eunuch Jin's brows lowered.

He saw it at a glance: Shen Shuchou was absolutely no match for this demon.

Within half an hour, he would inevitably be defeated!

How did that demon die?

Soon, he knew the answer.

They saw Chen Mo kill Chu Zhuo with the force of a thunderbolt, then walk straight to the center of the battlefield, holding his breath and focusing his mind, his energy retracted as if he were an old monk in meditation.

The hem of his clothes, moving without wind, indicated that his "momentum" was climbing step by step!

Boom!

The silver spear and gray mist, locked in combat, momentarily separated.

Chen Mo suddenly moved.

His fingers twitched slightly, the Broken Jade Blade fell into his palm, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, the moonlight dimmed, the scorching sun soared into the sky, the dark night shone as bright as day, and a brilliant galaxy poured down from the horizon!

Between heaven and earth, there remained only that one arc, profound to the extreme—

A Blade from Beyond the Heavens!

Soaring a thousand miles in an instant, his hand gestures stirring wind and clouds to startle ghosts and gods!

……

One blade to slay the demon!

The scene had already ended, yet the crowd remained intoxicated by the lingering resonance of that blade, unable to recover for a long time.

Shen Xiong’s eyes were filled with astonishment.

This brat……

Tap, tap, tap—

A series of footsteps broke the silent atmosphere.

Chen Zhuo walked with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger to the center of the great hall, holding a court tablet, his voice clear and resonant:

"Your humble servant impeaches Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Zhou Chuanbing for committing three major capital crimes!"

"Crime one: Privately crossing the border pass, sabotaging city defenses!"

"Crime two: Privately mining red sand, harboring ulterior motives!"

"Crime three: Colluding with the demon race, intending to rebel!"

"The crimes are manifest, the ironclad evidence is like a mountain! With these crimes combined, he should be judged for treason!"

"According to the laws of the Great Yuan, those who plot treason or commit great rebellion are the first among the Ten Evils! The offender shall be beheaded, family members shall be implicated, and sons aged sixteen or older shall be strangled!"

Boom!

A thunderbolt from the blue!

Zhou Chuanbing’s figure swayed as if about to collapse, but no one dared to support him, and he eventually slumped to the ground.

Before one wave subsided, another rose; Yunhe suddenly stepped forward, pulling out another recording stone from who knows where.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the 'Barbarian Slave Case' has been solved; the criminals Yan Liang and Yan Xun have both confessed."

"Director of the Ministry of Revenue Xian Yucheng, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Revenue Qiu Chengxuan, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Wei Yongfeng, Director of the Bureau of Officials Ruan Gaojun... have trafficked in barbarian slaves, are of poor character, shameless and devoid of integrity, and should step down to make way for the virtuous!"

"The evidence is conclusive; I hope Your Highness will discern the truth!"

At this moment, the Imperial Consort’s faction finally bared its bloody fangs.

Although the ranks of the officials mentioned were not very high, they all held critical positions in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice!

Yan Pei’s breathing became difficult; he finally realized that the other side had hidden for so long, waiting for this chance for a fatal blow... Toppling the Zhou family was only the first step; they intended to tear a bloody gash into the Six Ministries!

Then, they would crawl through that opening to eat the flesh, drink the blood, and strip the bones of their marrow!

Standing at the very front of the officials, several old ministers who had been dozing off slightly opened their eyes, a flash of sharp light passing through them.

Behind the bamboo curtain, that bright yellow figure sat upright, silent and wordless.

Eunuch Jin knew clearly that the Empress was beyond furious at this moment.

"Chen Mo’s blade is likely to overturn this imperial court!"