Late at night.
In the darkness, squads of armored soldiers moved silently through the streets.
Their movements were light, and they were clearly well trained.
They made hardly any sound as they advanced, apart from the occasional clink of armor.
They were not patrolling aimlessly. Instead, they silently surrounded the Chen Family.
Clearly, they intended to make a move against the Chen Family.
Even though it was the middle of the night, the news quickly caused a commotion.
Someone inquired about the soldiers' origins and received only three words in reply.
The Realm Protectorate!
Those who had originally been preparing to rest were no longer sleepy.
Although no one came out to cause trouble, they still discussed the matter with great interest.
They speculated about the reason for this situation, but no one questioned its legitimacy.
Could anything the Realm Protectorate did possibly be bad?
If you had crossed the Realm Protectorate, then you must have been the one at fault. The Realm Protectorate could never be wrong!
As Su Qing walked through the streets, he saw people peering curiously outside from their windows.
They did not look frightened at all. They were practically one small stool away from sitting outside to watch.
Clearly, in the eyes of the common people, the Realm Protectorate was what everyone wanted and could be trusted.
That kind of trust filled the young man's heart with emotion.
With such a reputation, it was no wonder they had become the target of a united attack.
As the saying went, "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be struck by the wind."
With the Realm Protectorate like this, it was not only the other factions—even the emperor would be displeased upon seeing it.
Who else would you destroy if not them? They were the textbook example!
Fortunately... this kind of thing would no longer happen.
It would begin with tonight's beautiful surprise attack!
Inside the Chen Family residence.
Because the attack had come so suddenly, even the hidden members of the Heavenly Principles Sect had been caught off guard.
Behind the screen, several dark figures were discussing their countermeasures.
"Luring the enemy east while attacking in the west—what a move. We don't even have time to set up our plans anymore."
One of the dark figures spoke in an irritated voice.
"We thought he would pursue us relentlessly. Who would have expected him to have set his sights on the Chen Family long ago?"
Another dark figure spoke, his voice filled with frustration.
It was no exaggeration to say that the young man's performance had been outstanding to an excessive degree.
The people sent outside had naturally been a smokescreen.
Under normal circumstances, the Realm Protectorate would have spent a great deal of manpower searching there.
Meanwhile, the people in the dense forest would have tried to circle around and stall for time, looking for an opportunity.
But what had happened?
He had never intended to fall for it from the beginning. His target was the Chen Family!
This cast a layer of gloom over everyone's hearts.
Everyone was deeply wary of such a monster who could see through another person's plans.
But what they found absurd was that the young lord was not supposed to be an incompetent weakling?
Why was he so decisive and swift once he took action?
"It's useless to consider these things now."
The sudden appearance of a quiet, clear voice suppressed the restless atmosphere.
The moment that slender figure appeared, respectful greetings rang out from all around.
"Saintess!"
The many dark figures respectfully saluted her.
"I intend to meet that young lord personally, but the actions that follow will require your cooperation..."
Meanwhile, outside the Chen Family residence.
In just a quarter of an hour, the Chen Family residence had been surrounded so completely that not even water could pass through.
Many Chen Family members who lived there wore blank expressions, completely unaware of what had happened.
They anxiously watched the silent soldiers around them, not daring to clash with them.
Judging by this imposing display, it would not have been excessive to say they had come to confiscate the family property and wipe out the clan.
But when they saw a certain figure, much of their unease dissipated.
The Grand Princess, dressed in a gorgeous long dress, stepped through the crowd and swept her gaze across the scene.
Several Chen Family members who had met her before hurried forward to ask what was happening.
"There's no need for everyone to worry. This concerns the Heavenly Principles Sect. Once the investigation is complete, you may leave..."
Jun Huang's voice, like ice stones clashing together, rang across the entire scene.
Although her voice was cold, it greatly eased the tense atmosphere.
As Jun Huang soothed the people, she silently pondered in her heart.
What exactly had he meant by those words earlier?
She always felt that he was hiding something from her, as if he were trying to achieve some objective.
She had far too little information and could not see through him at all...
Jun Huang always felt that he was pushing her onto another path.
At that moment, she even felt somewhat regretful.
Before her best friend left, she had asked Jun Huang to take care of her younger brother.
But did her younger brother even need taking care of?!
She felt that dealing with him was an extremely dangerous matter.
He was clearly just a little brat... When had he become so formidable?
The soldiers under Zhang Wu began investigating the heretics one by one.
During the day, because everything had happened too hastily, quite a few people had shown their faces.
After being questioned and inspected, how could those heretics possibly remain hidden?
From time to time, someone tried to flee, only to be pinned down by several burly men.
With just a few words, Jun Huang had already stabilized the situation.
The people who did not know they were members of the Heavenly Principles Sect breathed a sigh of relief and obediently submitted to the inspection.
Su Qing swept his gaze around, then led a group of people toward the interior of the Chen Family residence.
Those living outside were all minor underlings.
Even if they were captured, it would be difficult to count it as any great achievement.
The big fish inside were the real main course.
The farther they went, the quieter it became inside.
Su Qing kicked open the inner courtyard door and calmly watched the candle flames flickering within.
Several dark figures seemed to be moving behind the screen.
At the young man's command, several soldiers stepped forward and split the screen apart with a single slash.
The figures behind it instantly appeared before him.
There were only two people here.
One wore a black robe, its surface marked with patterns tinged with blood.
The other was Chen Chu Ci, whose eyes were vacant and expression rigid.
A sharp long blade was currently pressed against the neck of this Eldest Miss of the Chen Family.
"I never expected that my Tian Shu Hall would be taken down by a little brat like you."
"You are indeed formidable. Everyone misjudged you, but I refuse to accept this!"
The black-robed person spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Hall Master?"
Su Qing glanced at the patterns on the black robe and motioned for the others to retreat.
The soldiers exchanged glances and withdrew from the room one after another. Only Jun Huang remained.
"You have a good eye. I am indeed the Hall Master of Tian Shu Hall. Do you dare fight me?"
"You are the young lord of the Realm Protectorate. Surely you wouldn't disgrace your family's honor, would you?"
"If you don't dare, then we'll both perish together. I'll kill her!"
The Hall Master of Tian Shu Hall let out a low laugh.
With just a few words, he had already placed the young man over a blazing fire.
Would he risk his life to fight for the hostage, or choose to have his subordinates attack instead?
The former endangered his life, while the latter would inevitably make him seem afraid of death.
"You rats hiding in the gutters are truly despicable."
Cold killing intent flickered in Jun Huang's eyes.
This person was courting death!
If only she were close enough, she would immediately strike and capture him!
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