Rumble—
The rain outside the window grew heavier, as if the Milky Way had spilled from the heavens. Lightning snakes writhed across the gloomy sky, illuminating the astonished look on Chu Zhuo's face.
Chen Mo?
What was he doing here too?
Beside him, Chu Chen pointed at Chen Mo and said angrily, "Father, he's with that woman. He had a hand in what just happened too!"
He still remembered the kick he'd taken. Now was the perfect chance to settle that score as well!
Chu Zhuo's expression darkened slightly. "Chen Mo, did you get involved too?"
Chen Mo held his wine cup, his tone calm. "What, Lord Chu? Are you planning to arrest me too?"
"Beating someone so badly in full view of the public—you'll have to give me an explanation for that!" Chu Zhuo's voice was icy.
Before Chen Mo could speak, Lin Jingzhu spoke up:
"I'm the one who beat him. Riding a horse recklessly through the market carries fifty strokes of the rod. That's your explanation."
"Your son injured someone just now. By law, he's due eighty strokes..."
She glanced at Chu Chen, the corners of her mouth lifting to reveal white teeth. "You still owe me eighty strokes."
Chu Chen's back turned cold. He instinctively edged backward.
Then he suddenly remembered he had backup. He stopped, straightened his back, and said, "Even if I broke the law, punishment should be handed down by the yamen. What right do you have to hit people?"
Clang!
Lin Jingzhu pulled an iron badge from her robe and tossed it onto the table.
"As an Investigator, I may judge the punishment and carry it out when a criminal resists arrest. Any objections?"
Seeing the character "捕" engraved on the badge, Chu Chen stared blankly for a moment.
This woman looked like a martial wanderer, drinking and listening to music in broad daylight. She was actually a Six Gates investigator?
And she'd attacked him right away. How had he been given any chance to resist arrest?
Shangguan Yunfei shook his head.
Lin Jingzhu was a "repeat offender." She knew the Great Yuan Six Laws, the Martial Virtue Penal Code, the Yuan Code Commentary... She could recite every law backward and forward, and even when she was in the wrong, she could argue her way into being half right. When she had the law on her side, she was practically invincible.
Even if the matter went all the way to the yamen, the most she'd get was a two-month salary deduction. It wouldn't bother her in the slightest.
Chu Zhuo knitted his brows. The Heavenly Qilin Guard operated independently of the Six Ministries. He wouldn't normally give a mere investigator the time of day.
But Chen Mo had gotten involved too. He was a rising star these days, and he held the same rank of hundred-household commander as Chu Zhuo. This could be tricky... For a moment, Chu Zhuo wasn't sure what to do.
Just then, the purple-robed guard standing behind him spoke impatiently. "Lord Chu, settle this quickly. Don't let it interfere with your business."
Those words gave Chu Zhuo a timely reminder.
Young Master Zhou had sent someone along to see what he could do. If he couldn't handle a trivial matter like this, how could he be entrusted with an important task?
Besides, he'd already made an enemy of Chen Mo. One more offense wouldn't matter. Only by clinging to the Zhou Family's coattails would he have a chance to rise again!
At that thought, Chu Zhuo's gaze turned cold. He decided to make an example of this little investigator first!
He raised a hand and swept it forward. Red True Essence gathered into a giant palm in midair and crashed down toward Lin Jingzhu from a distance!
Lin Jingzhu showed no fear. Black light shimmered along her long staff as she thrust it upward to meet the giant hand!
Boom!
Staff met palm. The surging shockwave blew the window lattice away!
Lin Jingzhu's clothes billowed, but she didn't budge. Holding the staff in one hand, she held the giant palm firmly at bay!
A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Zhuo's eyes.
"Sixth-Grade Martial Artist?"
"No wonder you're so confident. But you've picked the wrong person to provoke!"
"Today, I'll show you just how wide the gap between sixth and fifth grade is!"
As he pressed his palm downward, the red giant hand loomed overhead like a blood cloud. The Black Gold Long Staff remained straight and unbending, but Lin Jingzhu was forced lower inch by inch.
Crack, crack—
Her bones and tendons groaned. Her body trembled slightly, as if she'd reached her limit.
"Brother Shangguan, it looks like your colleague's about to run out of strength," Chen Mo reminded him.
Shangguan Yunfei remained calm and shook his head. "Don't worry. This is only the beginning. Martial Chief Xue's disciple won't lose that easily."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Jingzhu took a deep breath. Frost formed in the air as she exhaled.
A faint glow spread across her body. Black ice covered her from head to toe, forming a suit of armor. A ferocious beast, Yazi, was engraved on her chest; a pair of Chiwen beasts coiled over her shoulders; and sharp spikes jutted from her elbows and knees. She looked murderous, like a weapon in human form!
Her exposed eyes glowed like ghost fire as she stared at Chu Zhuo.
Even Chu Zhuo was startled by the sight. Then he snorted. "All style and no substance!"
The giant palm swept across the air and slammed down!
Lin Jingzhu didn't stay put and take the blow. She shot into the air like a flash of lightning. With a flick of her Black Gold Long Staff, crescent blades sprang from both ends. In an instant, it transformed from a straight staff into a double-headed battle-axe, and she slashed toward Chu Zhuo's neck!
Chu Zhuo swung the giant palm and smacked her aside like a fly.
But all he struck was an afterimage. Lin Jingzhu ducked and slammed into his arms, driving her knee upward as a sharp ice spike stabbed toward his chest!
Squelch—
The spike pierced barely an inch before his muscles clamped around it. A thread of blood ran down the ice and dripped to the ground!
Chu Zhuo's expression turned thunderous. He hadn't even used his full strength, yet a mere sixth-grade girl had managed to wound him?
"Looking for death!"
Boom!
Chu Zhuo's white hair whipped in the wind. Red waves of energy swirled around him as he punched Lin Jingzhu away!
In midair, Lin Jingzhu twisted her body. Frost burst beneath her feet, and she shot toward Chu Zhuo again like a falling star!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two fought at close quarters, moving as fast as lightning. Their movements were impossible to follow; all anyone could see was a mass of red flames tangled with a streak of black ice.
True Essence surged and roared. The walls collapsed, the tables and chairs shattered, and the entire second floor was all but reduced to rubble!
The longer Chu Zhuo fought, the more alarmed he became. The girl's combat instincts were astonishing. She fought him at close range without giving an inch. Her black ice armor was exceptionally tough, too; he couldn't break through it in a short time. The two of them were evenly matched!
"The Six Gates has a prodigy like this?"
Chu Zhuo's temper finally flared. He withdrew and gathered scarlet flames in his palms. Two oddly shaped red curved blades appeared out of thin air.
"You've forced me to use my Martial Soul. You can be proud of that."
Chu Zhuo swept both blades diagonally upward, surging flames in their wake.
Lin Jingzhu tried to block with her Black Staff, but she was half a beat too slow. The flaming blades slashed into her left arm. Her ice armor melted away, leaving a deep gash that nearly reached the bone in her fair skin!
The blades fell like a dense rain. Shattered ice flew everywhere, and the black ice armor melted rapidly as thick mist filled the air.
A fifth-grade martial artist was a fifth-grade martial artist. Once Chu Zhuo brought out his Martial Soul, Lin Jingzhu was immediately forced onto the defensive.
She was still struggling to hold on, but defeat was only a matter of time.
In the middle of the rubble, only the table in front of Chen Mo remained intact.
He poured himself a cup of wine and said, "Brother Shangguan, looks like she really is going to lose this time."
Shangguan Yunfei nodded. "He's an old hand at the fifth grade. It's already impressive that she's held her own this long. At most, she can last another stick of incense."
Chen Mo asked in confusion, "Then why aren't you going to help?"
Shangguan Yunfei spread his hands. "I can't even beat Lin Jingzhu. Wouldn't I just be walking to my death if I went up there? Besides, with Lord Chen here, it's hardly my turn to step in."
Chen Mo furrowed his brows. "What does this have to do with me?"
Shangguan Yunfei answered with a straight face, "Lord Chen got involved in the street fight too, and this old man is one of your Heavenly Qilin Guard. How could it have nothing to do with you?"
"Lord Chen is in charge of the case, and it hasn't been solved yet. If Investigator Lin is seriously injured first... when Her Majesty the Imperial Empress holds someone responsible, she won't be looking at me."
Chen Mo: "..."
He gave Shangguan Yunfei a once-over. "You look like a pretty honest fellow..."
Shangguan Yunfei smiled warmly. "You've got a good eye, my lord. I'm famous for being an honest man."
Chen Mo couldn't be bothered with this beast of a man. He drained the wine in his cup.
Thud!
Chu Zhuo kicked Lin Jingzhu away.
Lin Jingzhu's feet gouged two furrows into the ground before she managed to steady herself. Her black ice armor was in tatters, exposing the delicate skin on her arms and calves, which was covered in streaks of blood.
Her eyes were still as calm as a lake.
The Nine-Turn Ice Soul Technique circulated through her body, keeping her absolutely calm even at the brink of death.
"Even if I use that move, I might not be able to turn the tide. A Pure Yang Realm Martial Soul is too troublesome..."
Chu Zhuo didn't intend to give her a moment to catch her breath. He rushed in and brought his curved blades down through the air!
Roar!
A deafening bellow shook the room!
Chu Zhuo's mind quivered, and his movements froze. A shadow flashed at the corner of his eye, seemingly bearing antlers, snake scales, and eagle claws...
Before he could make out what it was, a wave of pain hit him. He crashed through the wall and flew into the curtain of rain!
Thud!
Chu Zhuo landed in the street, his waist split open by a huge gash. Pale bones showed through as blood gushed out, seeping into the cracks between the bricks before the rain quickly washed it away.
He looked up in a daze. Chen Mo stood tall, a wine jug in his left hand and a long blade in his right. The blade looked as if it had been carved from jade, its surface covered in fractured ice patterns as it rang out again and again.
His black hair whipped in the wind and rain. He looked recklessly wild and unrestrained!
"What kind of sword technique is that?"
Chu Zhuo couldn't believe it.
The power of that slash had made his heart shudder, as if he were about to be cut in half at the waist!
A sixth-grade martial artist had actually threatened his life!
"Outrageous!"
Clang—
Clang—
Seeing that things had taken a turn, the two purple-robed guards' expressions turned cold. They drew their long blades and sprang forward.
"Azure Dragon in Sleeve compresses True Essence and unleashes it all at once. An ordinary sixth-grade martial artist would likely have their True Essence drained after one slash."
"But my True Essence is almost inexhaustible. What would happen if I fused Azure Dragon Blade Intent into Blazing Flame Eight Slashes, stacking the force higher and higher until it reached its peak?"
Chen Mo shifted his steps as he parried their attacks, pondering the idea. A vague insight lingered at the edge of his thoughts.
Merging two martial techniques wasn't as simple as he'd imagined.
Their True Essence circulated along different paths. It was like two rivers crashing into each other: his meridians were torn apart in an instant, only for his Vitality Essence to repair them at once.
As he tried again and again, he seemed to have found a workable path...
The two purple-robed guards felt something was off.
The man's blade work was chaotic, his True Essence scattered, as if he'd hardly ever handled a blade.
"Looks like he only knows that one move. His True Essence was drained, so he can't keep it up."
"Finish this quickly!"
The two exchanged a glance. One aimed for his neck, the other for his waist. Their blade winds were bone-chilling!
But what met them was a dazzling blade light!
Roar!
Against the gloomy sky, a giant azure dragon roared toward them, black flames surging through the gaps between its scales. In an instant, it swallowed them both!
Not far away, two men sat facing each other inside a black sedan chair.
A small brazier sat on the table between them, and a faint tea fragrance filled the air.
"Your Highness, is a mere Heavenly Qilin Guard hundred-household commander worth all this effort?"
The young man in elegant, pale-blue brocade held a white jade teapot and poured tea into a cup.
Chu Heng leaned back in his cushioned chair, his narrow eyes half closed. "Chu Zhuo isn't worth much. He's old, lacks ability, and will probably retire in a few years... Still, he'll do for now."
"I can't show my face. Keep him on a tight leash, and you can give him a few benefits when appropriate."
The demon murder case had now reached the Eastern Palace, and the Imperial Empress had personally appointed Chen Mo to take charge of it.
For some reason, this left Chu Heng with a sense of unease.
If he wanted to keep tabs on Chen Mo, he needed to plant a few informants in the Heavenly Qilin Guard. Chu Zhuo's relationship with Chen Mo was terrible, and he had no powerful connections, making him the ideal person to recruit.
"How is the mine coming along?" Chu Heng asked, rubbing his finger against the jade cup.
Zhou Jing'an replied, "Seventy percent has been excavated. We should be finished by the end of the month."
Chu Heng nodded. "Things are tense lately. Better to be careful... Chen Mo is a difficult opponent. We absolutely can't let him find a clue."
"Yes."
Zhou Jing'an acknowledged the order.
After a long while, Chu Zhuo and the others still hadn't returned.
Zhou Jing'an furrowed his brows. "It's been nearly half an hour. Can't he even handle a trivial matter? Chu Zhuo really is use—"
Before he could finish the word "less," a tremendous crash rang out.
The two lifted the curtain and looked outside. They froze.
The wall on the second floor of Drunken Moon Pavilion had been smashed through. Chu Zhuo lay in the middle of the street, half his body drenched in blood. He had nearly been cut in half at the waist!
Chu Zhuo was a fifth-grade martial artist, after all. How had he been beaten this badly?
Before they could recover, two more figures came flying out.
Thud! Thud!
They hit the ground, their purple robes black with blood. They were on their last legs, barely breathing.
Zhou Jing'an could no longer stay seated. Those men were close guards of the Yu Prince Mansion!
Seeing Chu Heng's dark expression, he knew it was the prelude to a furious outburst. He hurried to his feet and said, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I'll go see what's going on."
Zhou Jing'an stepped down from the sedan and led a group of guards over to Chu Zhuo.
"What happened?"
"Young Master Zhou..."
Chu Zhuo struggled to his feet, his old face flushed red with shame and fury. "A constable from the Six Gates is a bit of a handful. And then there's Chen Mo—he, he doesn't fight fair. He ambushed this old man!"
"Chen Mo? He's here too?"
Zhou Jing'an's brows twitched.
"Young Master, my son is still inside. He may be in danger..." Chu Zhuo said in a low voice.
"Come on. Let's go take a look."
Zhou Jing'an led his men into the tavern.
The Drunken Moon Pavilion had long since been emptied. Everyone went thumping up the stairs to the second floor.
Amid a field of rubble, three people sat raising their cups and drinking merrily. The walls had collapsed, and stormy skies loomed outside, adding a touch of bold grandeur to the scene.
Chu Chen was crouched in the corner with his arms over his head, his face deathly pale as he trembled.
"Lord Chen, what was that saber technique you used just now? Even a fifth-rank expert couldn't withstand it!" Shangguan Yunfei exclaimed.
Chen Mo shot him a glance. "Want to try it yourself?"
"...No need." Shangguan Yunfei knew he was in a foul mood. He wasn't about to provoke him.
Lin Jingzhu's clothes were torn, and blood streaked her body, but she didn't seem to mind at all.
She propped one foot on a stool, a wine cup in hand, and fixed her clear, bright eyes on Chen Mo.
"Lord Chen, let me toast you!"
"Mm."
They clinked cups and drained them in one go.
A faint blush rose across Lin Jingzhu's snow-white cheeks, like the morning glow reflected on snow. Her vermilion lips glistened, soft and pink. "That's a fine saber you have. Mind if I take a look?"
Chen Mo raised his hand and tossed it to her.
Lin Jingzhu caught it with her other hand and lightly brushed her fingers over the blade. Its peerless sharpness made her fingertips sting.
"What a fine saber! It's at least a mid-grade Heaven Tier treasure! I don't think it's listed on the weapons rankings..."
"Someone gave it to me. It's called Peace... Peace in Pieces."
"Peace in Pieces? What a strange name..."
"Chen Mo, how dare you!"
Just then, a cold voice rang out.
Zhou Jing'an strode over, and the guards behind him hurried forward, surrounding the group.
When Chen Mo saw the brocade-clad young master, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He glanced at Chu Zhuo following behind and seemed to understand. A strange smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
What timing—he couldn't have come at a better moment...
"Young Master Zhou, it's them!"
"They attacked an imperial official, treated human life like grass, and acted with reckless abandon. Their crimes are unforgivable!"
Clutching his aching lower back, Chu Zhuo spoke furiously.
Seeing that help had arrived, Chu Chen immediately puffed up again. He stood and looked at them smugly.
Zhou Jing'an's voice was icy. "Chen Mo, do you know what you're doing? You murdered someone in broad daylight. Not even Lord Chen can protect you!"
Chen Mo glanced at him. "So what if I killed him?"
Zhou Jing'an narrowed his eyes. "You're drunk. How about I send you to the Ministry of Justice's prison to sober up?"
Chen Mo toyed with his wine cup and said coolly, "I am drunk. But you're the one who needs to sober up."
As he spoke, he pulled something from his robes and tossed it over.
Zhou Jing'an instinctively reached out and caught it. He looked down, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints!
It was a golden token, engraved with a phoenix spreading its wings and the sun rising in the east!
"You're still standing after seeing the Flying Phoenix Token? Zhou Jing'an, how dare you!" Chen Mo looked at him with a cold, mocking gaze.
Boom!
It was as if five thunderclaps had struck him at once!
Zhou Jing'an's whole body jolted!
Before you continue