Chapter 307: A Shocking Revelation!

"Before Han Zhang went to Ping Tower, I was worried he would do something outrageous, so I have been guarding against it every day!"

"But I never expected that despite all my precautions, I still failed to stop him in the end!"

Sighing helplessly, Chen Xing then said with a hint of self-reproach, "That's right, among the others in the Tribute Hall, who could possibly be a match for Han Zhang?"

"Lord Shen, you killed Mou Qing and cut off his medicine. I thought Han Zhang would go mad, but I didn't expect him to go this mad!"

"So, that makes it my fault then?" What is this? The blame is being passed around, and it seems it has landed on him.

"No, Mou Qing deserved to die. Lord Shen killed him well; it was a great satisfaction to the people!"

Shaking his head slightly, Chen Xing said calmly, "Over these years, Mou Qing has been corrupt and harmed countless people; he should have died long ago. It is my fault for letting him live until now!"

"If I had made a decision earlier, today's events would not have happened!"

While speaking, Chen Xing bowed to Shen Yu once more, "I implore Lord Shen to execute Han Zhang and rid the world of this scourge!"

"Lord Chen, you are too polite!" Before Chen Xing could finish his bow, Shen Yu reached out and held him up.

Even if Chen Xing hadn't asked, Shen Yu would have found a way to stop him. Furthermore, he was actually quite interested in the Broken Sword left behind by Mu Zishan.

"Rest assured, Lord Chen, I will kill Han Zhang, and I will also find a way to get that Broken Sword back!"

"Do you have any items left behind by Han Zhang, or perhaps a portrait of him? Bring them here for me to see!"

"Then I leave it to you, Lord Shen!" Hearing Shen Yu say this, Chen Xing felt a sense of relief.

If Shen Yu is willing to take action, Han Zhang likely won't be able to escape; he only hopes that the Broken Sword in his hands won't be handed over to anyone else.

Thinking of the fact that Han Zhang had been to Ping Tower, for some reason, Chen Xing felt a faint sense of unease.

Moreover, once the news of Han Zhang's defection spreads, there will inevitably be those in the world who harbor ulterior motives.

"Lord Shen, I have always known that you are a righteous man with the world at heart. The world says that you are the second Mu Zishan, and your strength has reached the pinnacle."

"But in my eyes, what makes you most like Mu Zishan is not your martial prowess, but that righteous heart for the country and the people."

"Don't, don't!" Flattery doesn't cost money, but this stuff is heavy. Throwing such a big hat about being for the country and the people at him—this is not easy to accept.

Especially since Chen Xing is flattering him like this, he must be asking for something. Killing a Han Zhang is simple, but if he wants him to replace Han Zhang and sit in the Tribute Hall, then he should save his breath.

Just kidding, let me collect a salary, sure, but asking me to risk my life? No way!

"Lord Chen, I am not that great; I am a person who fears trouble the most!"

"Lord Shen, I will not misjudge a person!" After glancing at Shen Yu, Chen Xing looked outside the imperial palace, as if his eyes had pierced through the high walls and courtyards to look at the bustling commoners of the world.

Turning back again, Chen Xing's burning gaze made one feel uncomfortable all over.

"The Imperial Court has had three generations of wise monarchs, all of whom have governed with diligence. Although there are countless corrupt officials in the world, there are also many incorruptible ones; furthermore, the Black-Clad Guard monitors all officials, making them afraid to be too presumptuous."

"Now the people are safe and healthy, and the world is well-governed; at the very least, the people have food to eat. If there is turmoil, the people will inevitably be displaced, and there will be countless deaths and injuries."

"I believe that with your sense of responsibility, Lord Shen, you will definitely prevent all of this from happening. My judgment has never been wrong!"

"Uh, then has Lord Chen ever thought that you might have actually misjudged the person?"

Feeling a bit guilty under Chen Xing's burning gaze, Shen Yu considered himself to have a sense of justice; the education he received since childhood was not in vain. At the very least, his values were upright, and his mental outlook was positive and upward.

But if it were as great as Lord Chen described, Shen Yu thought he might still fall a bit short; he was just an ordinary person.

Executing corrupt officials, clearing out bandits and thieves, and hunting down treacherous villains who plague the people everywhere—wasn't it all just to obtain sign-in rewards?

His current system only allows for continuous sign-ins by performing acts of chivalry. Doing good deeds is fine too, of course—treating illnesses, saving lives, setting up porridge stalls to provide for refugees, etc., can all earn rewards.

But compared to executing those great villains and evildoers, it is much slower, unless it is a good deed that can benefit the whole world.

Just like killing a corrupt official or those with blood on their hands; the more evil these people have committed, the higher the degree of chivalry gained from killing them, and naturally, the greater the reward.

Killing them is so simple; with a wave of the hand and a drop of the blade, the reward is in hand.

So, in fact, Shen Yu is very clear that his actions over such a long time were not entirely out of great righteousness, nor were they as purely for the country and the people as Chen Xing said.

The reason he hates evil, the reason he appears impartial—part of it is that he truly cannot stand these people harming others, but another part is also mixed with a bit of utilitarianism.

"Lord Shen, I haven't spent all these years in officialdom for nothing. Perhaps you have your own goals in doing those things, but what is the difference in essence?"

"Everything you do is an act of great benevolence and righteousness; what does it matter if it is mixed with utilitarianism? As long as you continue to do so, Lord Shen, you will always be a true hero!"

"Alright, alright, can you just say what you need to say, Lord Chen?"

"Then I will speak plainly!" Pausing, Chen Xing then said with a hint of worry, "Lord Shen also knows that my health is getting worse by the day, and I fear I won't be able to hold on for much longer!"

"Within this vast Imperial Court, there are both men of great passion and those who are sycophants. If it were just ordinary treacherous villains, it would be fine, but if it involves high-ranking officials, it will inevitably harm the people."

"I want to ask His Majesty for a Golden Medal to gift to you, Lord Shen. Holding this Golden Medal, you can mobilize the Black-Clad Guard, the Capture Gate, and even the Garrison in any region. You can also borrow any classified documents at will."

"In addition, officials everywhere, from imperial relatives down to minor clerks, must unconditionally obey your orders upon seeing this Golden Medal, and no disobedience is allowed."

"If there are those who break the law or engage in corruption, you may execute them at will with this Golden Medal, Lord!"

"Hiss!" Although he knew Chen Xing was setting him up, this offer was undeniably huge. Holding this Golden Medal, one would truly be above ten thousand people, second only to the Emperor.

Moreover, being able to mobilize the Garrison, the Black-Clad Guard, and so on at will—to put it bluntly, this is equivalent to handing over a part of the lifeblood of the state.

Furthermore, even if an imperial decree were to come down, it would still have to go through a process, but this Golden Medal skips all those procedures.

"Lord Chen, are you serious?"

"I never speak empty words. Moreover, His Majesty is wise and martial, and I believe he will agree with my approach. I hope you can accept it, Lord Shen."

"I will have to consider this; let's talk about it after I kill Han Zhang!" This Golden Medal looks good, but it's a hot potato to hold. If this person has any requests in the future, how could you have the heart to refuse?

Without this token, couldn't he kill corrupt officials everywhere just the same?

"Lord, Han Zhang's items have been retrieved!"

Just at this moment, someone brought Han Zhang's items. After receiving the items, Shen Yu immediately chose to leave. If this continued, he was afraid he would really be trapped by Chen Xing; it was better to leave quickly.

"Lord Chen, the conditions you gave to Shen Yu are perhaps..."

"Perhaps what? Do you have a better way now? Even if Shen Yu doesn't want this Golden Medal, we must find a way to make him want it!"

"Now that Han Zhang has killed a tribute from the Tribute Hall and fled, if those Jianghu sects find out about his defection, it is inevitable that some will harbor other thoughts."

"Only Lord Shen Yu can hold up this sky now, do you understand?"

Seeing that these people were still somewhat dissatisfied, Chen Xing shook his head helplessly. Talking about these things to a group of martial artists who only know how to practice martial arts, Chen Xing felt like he was playing the lute to a cow.

Why did he insist on calling Shen Yu "Lord Shen" all the time? Not only did he do this himself, but he also made everyone in the imperial court do the same whenever they saw Shen Yu.

Even in the pugilistic world, he consciously guided everyone to address him that way.

It was to tell everyone that Shen Yu was an official of the imperial court; even if that person might quit at any moment, as long as they had not quit for a single day, they were still a person of the imperial court for that day.

As long as Shen Yu did not have a falling out with the imperial court, those people would have to think very carefully if they wanted to make a move.