Chapter 66 A Long Way to Go

The crowd downstairs looked astonished, having no idea what had happened upstairs. They only heard a series of dull thuds echoing continuously before things quickly grew quiet again.

The people exchanged bewildered glances.

Shortly after, a gust of wind swept down from the upper floor.

Chen Xuan returned to the street, dragging three blood-drenched figures. With a casual toss, he dropped them onto the ground, producing a series of dull thuds as if he were discarding garbage.

The three men let out endless, miserable screams.

Shock washed over the faces of the onlookers.

Had he really resolved the situation?

Many people immediately recognized the three screaming in agony on the ground, growing even more astonished until their hair stood on end.

This was because all three possessed extraordinary strength, having long reached the ninth layer of Qi Storage with at least thirty-five years of internal energy behind them. Yet, they had been dealt with in such a short amount of time.

Across the street at the tavern,

Xiao Yunxi and Zhao Feilong narrowed their eyes, gazing down at the scene below.

"What remarkable lightness skill, what profound internal energy!"

Zhao Feilong praised.

"The Blood-Sucking Divine Palm! That was the Blood-Sucking Divine Palm just now. Is he from the Blood Blade Sect?"

Xiao Yunxi asked in surprise.

Zhao Feilong glanced at him and said, "In my eyes, there is no absolute right or wrong. Right and evil are ultimately defined by men. This chief constable intends to restore order in Qingfeng City; who can dare call him a wicked man?"

Xiao Yunxi smiled faintly. "Brother Zhao is right. It seems I was taking things too seriously."

Zhao Feilong's gaze landed on the three men on the ground, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke, "Those are the Tang brothers, Tang Long and Wang Dao, and the other is 'Rain-Falling Sword' Zhang Xiao. Tang Long and Wang Dao have previously committed numerous capital crimes, so capturing them is of no consequence. However, Zhang Xiao has long enjoyed a reputation for chivalry, eagerness to help others, and a hot-blooded heart; he once escorted an orphan and a widow all the way to Luoyang over a thousand miles. To think he would mingle with the Tang family's second disciples—that comes as rather a surprise."

"Perhaps appearances can be deceiving,"

Xiao Yunxi remarked.

Zhao Feilong gently nodded in agreement.

Down below,

After dropping the three men, Chen Xuan shouted, "Tie them up for me! Continue the parade!"

"Yes, Chief!"

A group of junior constables immediately rushed forward, full of enthusiasm.

The three men were quickly bound together with a thick rope.

Tang Long wore an expression of sheer agony. His arm had been crushed and shattered by Chen Xuan's fists, leaving it dripping with blood and exposing bare white bones. The pain nearly caused him to faint, and he cried out in terror for mercy, "Spare my life! I know my wrongs, My Lord, spare my life!"

Bang!

Chen Xuan stepped up and delivered a kick that sent Tang Long vomiting blood.

"Damn it, now you're begging for mercy? What were you doing earlier? Beat the gongs!"

Clang!

Li Erha resumed beating the bronze gong, its resounding boom drowning out Tang Long's shrieks.

"The Qingfeng City Yamen is officially open for business today! Let the wronged seek justice and the vengeful settle scores. Come and take a look!"

Li Erha bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Clang!

Another chime of the gong rang out.

Chen Xuan kept a hand on his official saber, adopting a grand, swaggering stride as he continued forward.

The troop of constables followed closely behind.

Tang Long, Wang Dao, Zhang Xiao, and the previously subdued 'Scarface' were dragged along like dead dogs by the constables.

While Zhang Xiao and Tang Long could still barely manage to walk on their own, Wang Dao and 'Scarface' were half-dead and had to be dragged across the ground, howling incessantly as their skin was scraped raw and drenched in blood.

"His Honor, Magistrate Lin Zedong, is personally presiding over the court to guarantee justice for all of you! Anyone with a grievance, come forward and state your case!"

Clang!

Another thunderous roar of the bronze gong echoed through the air.

The onlookers were deeply shocked, clicking their tongues in amazement.

This newly appointed chief constable was truly vastly different from his predecessors.

His strength was simply terrifying!

In the flash of a spark, he had effortlessly disposed of three martial arts experts. In an instant, any other petty criminals harboring restless thoughts quickly suppressed them, not daring to make a move.

"The Qingfeng City Yamen is officially open for business today! Let the wronged seek justice and the vengeful settle scores. Come and take a look!"

Clang!

Amidst the endless shouting, Chen Xuan and his men marched onward, while the crowds on the street hurriedly cleared the path.

As noon approached, a group of guards clad in black patrol uniforms strode in from afar, wearing long sabers at their waists and cold expressions on their faces as they blocked Chen Xuan's path.

Li Erha, who had been shouting just moments before, suddenly changed color. He swallowed hard, fell silent, and hastily whispered into Chen Xuan's ear, "Chief, these are people from the Southern Peace Marquis Estate."

A trace of timidity flickered in his eyes.

Clearly, a colossal entity like the Southern Peace Marquis Estate struck fear deep into his heart.

Chen Xuan furrowed his brow, sweeping his gaze across the group of guards.

"Damn it, something the matter?"

He demanded.

"Chief Wu, the Marquis invites you to pay him a visit!"

The lead middle-aged guard said coldly.

On the left side of his waist hung a long saber, and on the right hung a silver token. His breathing was delicate and measured, and his temples bulged high.

He was unmistakably a silver-token guard of the Southern Peace Marquis Estate!

An expert of the Meridian-Connecting Realm!

"There's no need. This chief is swamped with official duties and still has to patrol the streets. Tell the Marquis that this chief will pay a formal visit another day."

Chen Xuan replied.

"The Marquis demands that you go right now!"

The silver-token guard stated coldly.

Chen Xuan's fiery temper flared up instantly. He glared at the man and snapped, "Good grief! This chief is appointed by the imperial court and takes orders only from the court. I only offered to visit another day out of respect for the Marquis! I told you I'm busy with official business, you numbskull—who do you think you are?"

"Chief Wu, speaking with such insolence shows disrespect to the Marquis. Since that is how it is, offense is taken!"

The silver-token guard's tone turned icy. His broad palm shot out instantly, carrying a sharp gale as it lunged toward Chen Xuan's shoulder, intending to subdue him by force.

Chen Xuan's eyes flashed, and he met the attack with a strike of his own palm.

The silver-token guard let out a cold snort. Changing his motion from a grab to a palm strike, he met Chen Xuan's blow head-on.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Chen Xuan's body stood unmoving as a mountain.

The silver-token guard's expression shifted drastically. Sent reeling back multiple steps by the impact with his vital energy churning, he hurriedly glanced at his palm to find it pitch-black and reeking of a foul stench. He cried out in shock, "A venomous palm? You... you practice venomous palm techniques?"

Chen Xuan sneered, "You son of a turtle, I'm an officer of the imperial court. What martial arts I practice is none of your concern!"

Not everyone who used venomous palms belonged to the Five Poisons Cult.

If he weren't an official of the yamen, people might suspect he originated from the Five Poisons Cult. But since he was sent by the yamen, outsiders would simply assume he learned his venomous techniques from the imperial court.

After all, the greatest power within the Great Qian Dynasty was the imperial court, which amassed all manner of divine manuals and secret arts; possessing a few venomous techniques or palm skills was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Very well, let's go!"

Clutching his arm, the silver-token guard spoke with reluctance before quickly leading his men away.

Through that brief exchange, he had tested Chen Xuan's strength: his internal energy was deep and unshakeable. Even though he himself had already opened the Conception and Governing Vessels, he feared his reservoir of internal energy fell far short of this chief constable's.

Therefore, he decisively chose to withdraw.

The group quickly vanished from sight.

The surrounding crowd was struck with awe once again.

This chief constable was truly unyieldingly fierce!

He dared to offend even the people of the Marquis Estate?

"Word has it that Lord Wang the Ninth's residence was attacked last night, and Lord Wang was brutally murdered. The prime suspect in that case is none of this Chief Wu. Looking at it now, there might actually be some truth to it—his strength is enough to put a silver-token guard of the third level of the Meridian-Connecting Realm at a disadvantage."

Someone whispered under their breath.

"Keep your voice down, lest he hears you and seizes upon it as an excuse."

A companion hastily cautioned in a low tone.

"Damn it, resume the patrol!"

Chen Xuan bellowed, striding forward.

Clang!

The sound of the bronze gong echoed, reverberating down the lengthy street.

"The Qingfeng City Yamen is officially open for business today! Let the wronged seek justice and the vengeful settle scores. Come and take a look!"

Clang!

The group of constables dragged the four severely wounded 'criminals' along as they marched ahead.

Along this journey, Chen Xuan deeply experienced the chaotic state of Qingfeng City.

It felt as though anyone and everyone wanted to come and test the yamen.

Had he not possessed at least some strength, he likely would have been wiped out on his very first day.

Now he finally understood why the previous eleven consecutive chief constables had all met their deaths.

The task ahead was heavy, and the road was long!