Chapter 644: Are You Serious?

"Before, when Han Zhang went to Pinglou, I was worried he would do something extraordinary, so I have been guarding against it every day!"

"Yet 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, "It is true; among the others in the Tribute Hall, who could possibly be Han Zhang's match?"

"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?" How about that—the blame was passed around until it landed right 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 indifferently, "Over these years, Mou Qing has been corrupt and lawless, harming countless people; he should have died long ago. It is my fault for keeping him 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 slay 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 the man. Furthermore, he was actually quite interested in the Broken Sword left behind by Mu Zishan.

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

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

If Shen Yu was willing to act, Han Zhang would likely not be able to escape; he only hoped that the Broken Sword in his hands would not be handed over to anyone else.

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

Moreover, once the news of Han Zhang's defection spread, there would inevitably be those in the world with ulterior motives.

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

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

"No, no!" Flattery might be free, but this stuff is heavy. Throwing such a massive hat as 'for the country and the people' at him—this is not easy to catch.

Especially since Chen Xing was flattering him like this, he must be asking for something. Killing a Han Zhang is simple, but if he were asked 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 would 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 masses of the world.

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

"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 peaceful and healthy, and the world is well-governed; at the very least, the people have a meal to eat. If there were to be turmoil, the people would inevitably be displaced, with 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 actually have 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, and at the very least, his values were upright and his spirit was positive.

But to say he was as great as Lord Chen described, Shen Yu thought he might still be lacking; he was just an ordinary person.

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

His current system only allowed for continuous check-ins by performing acts of chivalry. Doing good deeds also worked, of course—treating illnesses, saving lives, setting up porridge stalls to provide for refugees, etc., all could earn rewards.

But compared to slaying those great villains and evildoers, it was much slower, unless it was a good deed that could benefit the entire world.

Just like killing a corrupt official or those with blood-stained hands—the more evil these people were, the higher the degree of chivalry gained from killing them, and the greater the reward.

Killing them was so simple; with a flick of the wrist and a drop of the blade, the reward was in hand.

So, in truth, Shen Yu was 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 claimed.

The reason he hated evil, and the reason he appeared impartial, was partly because he truly couldn't stand these people harming others, but partly because it was tinged with a bit of self-interest.

"Lord Shen, I have spent so many years in officialdom—it was not in vain. Perhaps you have your own purposes for 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 self-interest? As long as you continue to do so, Lord Shen, you remain a true hero!"

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

"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; I fear I will not be able to hold on for much longer!"

"Within this vast Imperial Court, there are both men of great passion and those who are petty and sycophantic. If they were just ordinary treacherous villains, it would be one thing, but if they are high-ranking officials, they will surely bring disaster upon the people."

"I want to request a Golden Medal from His Majesty 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 to this, all officials, from imperial relatives down to the lowest scribe, must unconditionally obey your commands upon seeing this Golden Medal, without any defiance."

"If there are those who commit crimes or engage in corruption, you may execute them at will with this Golden Medal!"

"Hiss!" Although he knew Chen Xing was playing him, this gesture was undeniably grand. Holding this Golden Medal, one would truly be above ten thousand people, second only to one.

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

Furthermore, even if an imperial decree were issued, it would have to go through a process, but this Golden Medal bypassed all procedures.

"Lord Chen, are you serious?"

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

"I will have to consider this; let's wait until after I have killed Han Zhang!" This Golden Medal looked good, but it was a hot potato to hold. If this person had any requests in the future, how could he refuse?

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

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

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

"Lord Chen, the conditions you gave 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 take it!"

"Now that Han Zhang has killed a tribute of the Tribute Hall and fled, if those Jianghu sects learn of his defection, it is inevitable that some will have other ideas."

"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 knew 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 for a single day, those people would have to think very carefully if they wanted to make a move.