"By imperial decree, Chen Yuanfeng embezzled public funds, allowed his nephews to prey upon the common people, and associated with the White Lotus Society. Today, his estate shall be confiscated, and he shall be executed after autumn!"
A palace eunuch steward, dressed in a red robe, looked down from above with cold, shadowy eyes as he announced the decree.
Chen Yuanfeng was roughly fifty years old, with streaks of gray at his temples. Kneeling below, he stood frozen in place.
His family stood beside him, all pale with terror.
"You eunuch faction dogs, framing people however you please! I want to see His Majesty!"
"That has nothing to do with us," the eunuch said coldly.
"Lord Chen, why haven't you accepted the decree?"
They had come to kill his entire family, yet still demanded that he accept the imperial decree. The Chen Family's hearts turned ice-cold.
"I, Chen Yuanfeng, have served diligently and remained incorruptible. I have never preyed upon the common people, much less associated with the White Lotus Society. Why would His Majesty believe such slander..."
Chen Yuanfeng staggered and collapsed onto the ground, sorrow filling his eyes.
"This is sheer fabrication! You eunuch dogs and beasts, unworthy even of being called men! May your bloodline die out!" Chen Yuanfeng glared furiously at the Eastern Depot men.
"You needn't trouble yourself over us, my lord. We of the Eastern Depot have long since lost that ability. Men, go inside and search! I'd like to see whether Lord Chen is truly so incorruptible!" the red-robed eunuch sneered.
"Wang Dangtou, since we are here to confiscate the estate and exterminate the family, there is no need to humiliate Lord Chen."
A tall Imperial Guard, clad in a Flying Fish Robe with a Spring Embroidered Saber at his waist, spoke calmly.
His name was Zhou Chu, a Hundred-Household Officer of the Imperial Guard and the man in charge of arresting Chen Yuanfeng's family.
Besides him, several subordinate Hundred-Household Officers like Su Changqing had also accepted this assignment.
"We are all serving His Majesty. Zhou Chu, do you Imperial Guards think yourselves so just and incorruptible? If we delay, you cannot bear the consequences." Wang Dangtou glanced at him before sneering.
"Arrest them," Zhou Chu said after taking a deep breath.
Eastern Depot agents and Imperial Guards surged forward at once. The Minister of Personnel's residence descended into chaos. Some servants resisted desperately, only to have their arms and legs broken as they sprawled on the ground, wailing.
Curses and screams echoed throughout the Minister of Personnel's residence.
Chen Yuanfeng knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly and cursing the eunuch dogs. He claimed that none of the Imperial Guards were human, even dragging Zhou Chu, who had just spoken for him, into his abuse.
Su Changqing stood beside Zhou Chu, watching in silence.
When a wall collapsed, everyone pushed it.
One had to perform one's duties while occupying one's position.
In this world, who could truly distinguish between purity and filth?
Minister Chen, the great upright official, might indeed have been clean and incorruptible, but the same could not necessarily be said for his nephews.
The Imperial Guard had already investigated everything. The Chen Family had two thousand eight hundred mu of farmland registered under their name, along with another five thousand two hundred mu of fertile land concealed from the records.
Within Chang'an City, they owned three salt shops, three iron shops, and three restaurants.
Chen Yuanfeng might not have personally committed violence, but he had benefited from it.
Could the profits from all that farmland and those shops have failed to reach Chen Yuanfeng's pockets?
Su Changqing watched silently, then lightly shook his head. This had nothing to do with him.
At that moment, his ears suddenly twitched, and he frowned.
After taking the Muscle Tendon Pill, his senses had become exceptionally sharp. He seemed to hear movement outside, faintly making out the presence of a man and a woman.
"Chen Yuanfeng has a daughter named Chen Yu'er. She isn't here, so she must have gone elsewhere."
Su Changqing's eyes narrowed as he turned and left. From beginning to end, his sole objective had been the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art.
Along the way stood countless rock gardens and scenic displays, even a three-hundred-year-old luohan pine. Its priceless value showed just how immensely wealthy the Chen Family was.
Very soon, Su Changqing arrived at the Chen Family's main house. He swept his gaze around, found no one there, and entered directly.
With a tap of his toes, he activated the Four Seasons Cloud Falling Steps and easily leaped onto the rafters, searching everywhere above.
Nothing.
The rafters were all made of fine poplar wood and spotless, showing that the Chen Family had people specially assigned to clean them.
Unfortunately, everything was visible at a glance. Where was there any trace of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art manual?
"No, that can't be right. Since the Life Script says it is on the beam, then it must be there." Su Changqing narrowed his eyes.
If it was there, then it was there. It was simply very likely hidden extremely well; otherwise, the Chen Family would have discovered it while cleaning.
"If there is anything they would never touch, it can only be the main beam!"
Having made up his mind, Su Changqing stretched out both hands and wrapped them around the enormous main beam, his aura surging.
True qi flooded through his entire body, and a terrifying Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound resounded in all directions.
He actually tore the main beam straight out of the house.
Then he threw the enormous beam onto the ground.
With a bang, the tremendous impact made the entire house tilt.
Without its main beam, the house was about to collapse.
"Where is it?" Su Changqing examined the main beam before him. A moment later, he suddenly noticed something unusual.
At the very top of the main beam, on the exposed end that had been cut through, dense lines of tiny writing had been carved.
Indestructible Vajra, endless rebirth; supreme martial path, blood and qi return to the void, suppressing the qi sea...
Warning: This technique seizes the creation of heaven and earth. It may only be used five times in a lifetime. Upon the sixth use, one's meridians will inevitably rupture; upon the seventh, blood will flow from the seven orifices, leading to death...
"Hahaha, so it was copied onto the very top of the wooden beam. No wonder I couldn't find it."
If there was any master in the world who would toy with people like this,
it was likely none other than the Invincible Brat, Gu Santong.
Even Su Changqing could not help but laugh. The Frost Snow Saber left its sheath, and Blade Aura tore through the air, cleaving the wooden beam in two.
The Blade Aura was razor-sharp, slicing the beam cleanly in half.
A round wooden disc resembling a wheel fell into Su Changqing's hand.
"It is inconvenient to carry. I need to leave this place quickly. Even if the mission fails, obtaining this is enough to make this trip worthwhile."
Su Changqing's eyes narrowed. He tucked the wooden disc engraved with the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art into his robes and hurried outside.
Merit points and promotion meant nothing to him.
The opportunities in the Life Script were what he had to seize.
Outside, a man and a woman suddenly leaped over the high wall and landed directly within the courtyard.
"Lord Chen, quickly leave with Yu'er and me!"
The man had a face like polished jade, sharply defined features, and exceptional good looks. Standing protectively beside Chen Yuanfeng, he looked around vigilantly.
Chen Yuanfeng stood frozen, never expecting that the one who came to save him in the end would be the martial path he had always disliked most.
A woman stood beside them as well, her purple dress fluttering around her. Her delicate features were breathtakingly beautiful.
"I was just thinking that Chen Yuanfeng has a daughter named Chen Yu'er. I heard she loved martial arts from a young age and was driven out of the family home." Wang Dangtou let out a cold shout.
"Kill them! Leave no one alive!"
More than a dozen eunuch dogs beside Wang Dangtou sneered viciously as they closed in.
The young man was extraordinarily skilled. The dragon sword in his hand gleamed with icy light as it slashed through the sky.
Sword aura pierced the eye, and his swift sword cut through throats. Ordinary Eastern Depot eunuchs in the Body Tempering Realm could not even last a single exchange against him before their heads were severed and blood sprayed across the ground.
It was almost completely one-sided. Single Female Lead crushed the entire field.
"Mangshan Sword Art!" Zhou Chu's expression changed as he cried out in shock.
"Rumor has it that Chen Yu'er became a disciple of Mang Mountain. Could this young man be Mo Longyan, the true inheritor of the Mang Mountain Sword Art?"
"At the True Qi Fourth Layer, his swift sword is renowned throughout the martial world. He is hailed as the finest of Mang Mountain's second generation!"
An Eastern Depot agent spoke in terror.
"You eunuch dogs do have some knowledge." Mo Longyan sneered upon hearing this. His swift sword flashed with cold light as he killed with increasing ferocity.
More Eastern Depot agents and Imperial Guards died beneath his sword. Blood drenched his white robe red.
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