CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 33: AND THERE’S SOMEONE LIKE YOU

As he stood there in shock, another group of people arrived, led by an elderly man dressed in brocade clothes with a dignified appearance.

Seeing the man’s arrival, everyone else quickly bowed and saluted, "This subordinate pays respects to Chief of Staff Chen!"

"Pays respects to Chief of Staff Chen!"

Lu Xian also offered a slight salute, though without the same reverence as the others. Shen Changqing stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged.

Chief of Staff! Shen Changqing thought. There were many Chief of Staffs in the Imperial Court, and he wasn’t sure which one this man was. In any case, so what if he was a Chief of Staff? He was from the Covert Hall of the Demon-Subduing Division. Bowing was merely a courtesy; not doing so was also natural.

Lu Xian, standing by his side, whispered in his ear, "Lord Shen, this is the Minister of Revenue, Lord Chen Luo!"

Minister of Revenue! Chen Luo! Shen Changqing nodded in acknowledgment.

On the other side, after Chen Luo arrived, his gaze swept over the corpses on the ground. When he saw a body that had been split in two, his complexion immediately turned pale.

"Hong’er!" A cry of grief nearly made him lose his footing. The people behind him hastily helped him steady himself.

"Lord Chief of Staff, please restrain your grief!"

"Who, who killed my Hong’er? Who exactly was it!" Chen Luo’s face was filled with sorrow, his tiger-like eyes bloodshot as he roared in a low voice through gritted teeth. The soldiers who had followed Lu Xian instinctively bowed their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

At this moment, Chen Luo’s eyes also fell on Shen Changqing and Lu Xian. This place was Chen Hong’s private mansion. To prevent any problems, Chen Luo had always kept people watching it. So, when Shen Changqing sent out the signal, those watching had immediately relayed the news. Later, Chen Luo hurriedly led the experts from his mansion to the scene, only to realize he was still a step too late.

Noticing his gaze, Lu Xian saluted. "Chief of Staff Chen, your esteemed son was possessed by Demon Evil. We had no choice but to act. After all, possession by a Demon Evil is equivalent to death. However, the Demon Evil that possessed him has already been slain by us. Consider that vengeance taken."

"Vengeance!" Chen Luo’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice chillingly cold. "You killed my son and now you falsely accuse him of being possessed by Demon Evil! Even if you are from the Demon-Subduing Division, you cannot act so presumptuously! Guards, take them down!"

As his words fell, the people behind him hesitated. Chen Luo’s eyes grew colder. "What, do my orders not carry weight?"

"Yes!" The people who had come with him no longer dared to hesitate. Several of them immediately made their move, reaching to capture Lu Xian.

Seeing this, Lu Xian’s face turned cold. He took a step back to avoid the attack. "Chief of Staff Chen, what is the meaning of this? We from the Demon-Subduing Division were performing our duty slaying Demon Evil, and yet you move against us!"

"Take them down!" Chen Luo uttered only two cold words. Those who took action became even more aggressive.

Being the personal guards of the Minister of Revenue, their strength was naturally not weak. Almost every one of them had entered the Innate Realm. Although they hadn’t reached the Outer Gang Level, when they joined forces, they were no less powerful than a martial artist of the Outer Gang Realm. For a moment, Lu Xian was at a disadvantage.

Immediately afterward, Chen Luo looked towards the soldiers and once more gave the order, "Take all those people as well! Imprison them in the dungeon! Wait for tomorrow when I report to His Majesty, and then execute them!"

"Yes!" The remaining men approached the soldiers. Seeing this, those soldiers knelt and begged for mercy. "Chief of Staff, we’ve been wronged!"

"Chief of Staff, this has nothing to do with us!"

"We’ve been wronged—" But no matter how they pleaded, it was to no avail; they were quickly bound. During the process, no one dared to resist.

In the rear garden, only Lu Xian and the personal guards were fighting, but it was clear that Lu Xian was already at a disadvantage.

Chen Luo, seeing Shen Changqing still standing motionless, turned to a person beside him. "You too, go and take him down for me!"

"This subordinate obeys!" The man nodded, stepped forward, and looked at Shen Changqing as if viewing a dead man. "Will you surrender quietly, or will you resist to the end?"

Shen Changqing gave no answer. Seeing this, the man ceased his talk. Brandishing his long spear, he shot toward Shen Changqing like a dragon emerging from its lair.

The spear tore through the air, creating a piercing shriek. But just as the spear was about to reach Shen Changqing’s face—CRACK! A hand directly grasped the spear tip, halting its progress completely. It could not advance even half an inch further.

The man’s expression changed. When he tried to thrust the spear forward with force, it was as if he had encountered diamond; there was no possibility of advancing. When he tried to retreat, he found the spear firmly clamped. That hand was like an indestructible iron grip, filling him with deep despair. The gap in their power was simply not on the same level.

Grasping the spear tip, Shen Changqing’s expression was indifferent. "Attacking a member of the Demon-Subduing Division without cause, I have reason to suspect that you have been possessed by Demon Evil. And it is the duty of the Demon-Subduing Division to slay Demon Evil!"

As his words fell, his palm exerted force. The long spear instantly snapped. The powerful backlash caused the man’s hand between his thumb and forefinger to split open. Just as he stepped back and released his grip on the long spear, a flash of cold light met his eyes. The next instant, he felt a sharp pain in his throat; the broken tip of the spear was embedded there.

Guttural choking sounds escaped the man as he clutched his throat, blood continuously gushing out. He stumbled backward several steps before collapsing powerlessly to the ground. After a few breaths, he was dead.

Seeing his own guard killed, and so instantaneously, Chen Luo’s face darkened. "You dare to kill my man! What audacity!"

"I am merely slaying Demon Evil!" Shen Changqing looked straight at Chen Luo. "I also have reason to suspect that Chief of Staff Chen has also been possessed by Demon Evil and seeks to use this opportunity to kill members of my Demon-Subduing Division, thereby causing chaos in the Capital City. For the safety of the Capital City and to defend the dignity of the Imperial Court, I have no choice but to act!"

As he spoke, his right hand was already resting on the hilt of his blade at his waist. The Lengyue Blade was slowly drawn from its sheath. The intensely sharp blade aura didn’t cause the temperature in the area to drop in the slightest; instead, it seemed to surge, becoming scorchingly hot, as if boiling.

At that moment, Chen Luo felt a great threat; a shadow of death clouded his heart. The other party really dared to kill him! As this thought surfaced, the Minister of Revenue’s face immediately turned grim.

"Very well, very well indeed!" he said. "To think that such a person exists within the Demon-Subduing Division." Chen Luo’s eyes turned frosty. Seeing Shen Changqing’s momentum still rising, he finally spoke to halt the fight. "Stop!"

As his words fell, the battle in the area ceased. Lu Xian retreated to Shen Changqing’s side, while the few guards withdrew to stand before Chen Luo.

"Lord Chief of Staff!"

"Take Hong’er’s body. We’re leaving." Chen Luo stated, then turned and left directly. The remaining people exchanged glances, and then someone lifted Chen Hong’s body and departed.

The battle had started quickly, and it ended just as fast. The whole process changed in the blink of an eye. Also carried away was the body of the guard who had died at Shen Changqing’s hands.

Chen Luo and his men left quickly, ignoring those who had been bound. Lu Xian executed a Blade Slash, the blade energy severing the ropes on the prisoners. "You may all leave. Let’s pretend tonight’s events never occurred."

"Thank you, Lord!" The men bowed in thanks and hastily departed. This time, they could truly say they had suffered an undeserved calamity, being arbitrarily seized by the Chief of Staff’s Mansion. If they had been thrown into the dungeon, death would have been almost certain.

Watching them leave, Lu Xian turned to Shen Changqing. "Lord Shen, Chen Hong is dead, and now a guard from the Chief of Staff’s Mansion has also been killed. That Minister of Revenue might not let this matter rest. Although we are in the right, if this isn’t handled well, it could still cause a lot of trouble."

"Demon-Hunter Lu, just attend to your own duties. You need not concern yourself with the rest," Shen Changqing replied indifferently. So what if he was the Minister of Revenue? He certainly didn’t have the standing to posture before the Demon-Subduing Division, especially when Shen Changqing was in the right. If the Demon-Subduing Division couldn’t stand up for him in this matter, then he would have to reassess its actual strength.

At this time, Shen Changqing also realized that as his strength grew, so did his confidence. If it had been the past him, even with the Demon-Subduing Division as backing, he might not have dared to confront a Minister of Revenue. But now? He had confronted him, and so what? A late-stage Grandmaster martial artist had the qualifications to act this way anywhere. With strength, one often didn’t have so many concerns.

Hearing this, Lu Xian nodded. Then, as if recalling something, he asked hesitantly, "If that Minister of Revenue hadn’t retreated just now, would Lord Shen have actually made a move?"

"Anyone in this world who stands against the Demon-Subduing Division is considered Demon Evil. It is my duty to slay Demon Evil. What problem is there with that?" Shen Changqing countered.

Lu Xian’s heart jolted. His reverence for this legendary figure deepened. So, if Chen Luo hadn’t left, more people than just these few would have died tonight. Lord Shen’s ruthlessness deeply pressured him, yet it also inspired admiration. After all, not everyone had the courage to defy a third-rank high official, nor did everyone dare to kill one. If he had really done that, the Imperial Court session the next day would undoubtedly have been thrown into turmoil.

However, even though Chen Luo had left, Lu Xian guessed that tomorrow’s court assembly would likely not be peaceful either. "Lord Shen should still be cautious. If possible, it would be best to inform the Lord Defender. With the Lord Defender stepping in, a third-rank high official won’t count for much," he reminded again.

Shen Changqing nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Demon-Hunter Lu. I am aware."

"I still have patrol duty, so I will take my leave first." Lu Xian clasped his hands in salute, then turned and left.

After his departure, Shen Changqing glanced at the chaotic scene before also leaving the place.