Chapter 217

He immediately rushed into the crowd.

[Sweeping Blade]

Forward without hesitation!

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!

Although the scabbard has no blade, its hardness is comparable to steel, and the power of a direct strike to the body should not be underestimated.

With each strange sound, those without armor were instantly knocked unconscious, while those with armor had their armor broken before losing consciousness.

The archers couldn't hit Chen Ce at all—he was too fast.

Like a streak of blue light flashing through the crowd... constantly weaving... slipping and sliding around like an elusive eel...

The most fatal thing is...

He...

It looks like he's coming...!

"Hello." Chen Ce used his Sweeping Blade to glide past all the melee guards and arrived in front of the archers.

And then...

Snap!

With a single swipe of the sword sheath, an archer fell to the ground, unable to get up.

They kept sliding... sliding back and forth, and the archers all fell down.

The Grand Marshal's guard, numbering several dozen men, was wiped out in just three to five minutes.

"..." Tianna looked at the smiling young man and finally felt a trace of fear—she had watched that guy the whole time...

He didn't even draw his sword...

Could it be that... even the elite of the Dauntless Vanguard are not worthy of his drawing of his sword...?

Damn it...!

"As you can see, my leg is still there."

Almost in a blur, Chen Ce closed in on Tianna.

The latter didn't even have time to react.

After a moment of stunned silence, her knightly discipline honed over many years led her to draw her sword from her waist.

Without hesitation, she swung her sword at the young man in front of her.

She seemed to have struck... because the blade stopped abruptly after hitting something.

But it seems she missed... because the feel wasn't right.

She saw everything clearly in the moonlight.

Then his eyes widened in horror.

Her sword... struck the opponent's body... but...

Only...

Two fingers...

"Is this the Grand Marshal's strength? This is quite disappointing." Chen Ce caught Tianna's sword with just two fingers.

Then, fold it gently.

Bang--!

A crisp sound pierced the night, and the broken blade fragments reflected Tianna's astonished face.

The battle is completely over.

Chen Ce didn't even draw his sword once from beginning to end.

Such opponents... are not worth his full effort. Only by defeating them with the most direct, ruthless, and contemptuous methods can they understand the difference in skill.

This is an insurmountable gap.

Comparing Garen to [the Mageseekers who defeated Jax] is utterly absurd and laughable.

This power is far beyond what ordinary people can withstand.

"If you have the chance, go out and see the world... There are many things beyond Demacia that you can't even imagine."

Chen Ce reached out and stroked the broken sword, finally taking the hilt from the terrified Tianna.

"Your guard is easily defeated, and the strength of the Dauntless Vanguard is also very limited... What you are proud of and confident in may be utterly insignificant in the eyes of others."

Tianna swallowed unconsciously, speechless.

Lux, however, spoke up, "Chen Ce..."

She didn't plead aloud, nor did she make any physical gestures—not because she was afraid, but because she felt she couldn't.

Chen Ce acted because of her... She couldn't help him at all when he seemed to be in danger, so how could she expect him to generously forgive his opponent after Chen Ce had won?

This is unfair to Chen Ce...

But... Tianna was still her aunt, and also the leader of the Crownguard family.

More importantly, in the end, Tianna simply too strict and demanding of the younger generation in her family; she didn't commit any heinous crimes...

"Chen Ce..." Lux called Chen Ce's name again in an almost pleading tone, but didn't say anything more.

Fortunately, Chen Ce understood what she meant.

He didn't attack Tianna directly like he had when he knocked down the guards, but instead approached her step by step until the two were less than twenty centimeters apart.

He looked at that face, which was over thirty years old but well-maintained, even fairer and more delicate than that of an average young girl, and its beauty made him feel somewhat disgusted.

So he reached out and touched the other person's face.

Under Tianna's uneasy gaze, he pinched her face with one hand.

"Your Excellency, Grand Marshal, please refrain from forcing Miss Lux in the future, and do not target her in any way... Whether it's marriage or life, I want her to have the right to make her own choices."

"..." Tianna, then struggled to speak—even though her mouth was pinched almost into a small circle. "You're an outsider... what right do you have..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ce couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I'm an outsider, but aren't you? You're just Lux's aunt, what right do you have to decide her marriage and private life? Are you her parents?"

"But I gave her... a comfortable life...!"

"You gave it to me? Does that mean all the hard work, wealth, and connections accumulated by the ancestors of the Crownguard family should be attributed to you?"

"Then she should... contribute to the Crownguard family...!"

"Isn't Lux Illuminators enhancing the reputation of the Crownguard family a contribution? Compared to the others in the Crownguard family, I think her contribution is more than enough. It's just that you're too greedy... Stop making excuses for your despicable actions. You're just trying to use Lux's political marriage to gain more power."

"..." Tianna fell silent—whether because speaking like this was too painful or because she didn't know how to defend herself.

In short, from Chen Ce's "the bystander sees most of the game" perspective, Lux absolutely deserves the Crownguard family's respect.

It's said that the Crownguard family gave Lux a lot, but was that what she truly wanted? The education in aristocratic etiquette, the constraints of rules and regulations—is that what they call a "generous gift"?

Even if we take a step back and assume that the affluent lifestyle was indeed provided by the Crownguard family, the reputational boost that Lux secured for the Crownguard family is more than enough to "pay back the debt."

Even assuming Lux herself is willing to make this "deal," whether she agrees or not, she was born with the burden of the debt. "You're a member of the House Crownguard; if you want to benefit from the family, you must sacrifice yourself and contribute to the family." If she refuses to sacrifice, resorting to violence—isn't that a form of forced buying and selling?

Lux owes her family nothing.

Those traditional, outdated arguments were nothing more than tools for Tianna to satisfy her lust for power.

If one had to nitpick, this wicked woman is the greatest potential danger to the Crownguard family —her ever-expanding desires will sooner or later unsettle the royal family, leading them to take action against the entire Crownguard family.

"Lux is a member of the Crownguard family, but she is not a tool of the Crownguard family; she will contribute to the family, but it is not your place to force her to spend the rest of her life paying off some non-existent debt using such despicable methods."

After saying that, Chen Ce let go, and the unprepared Tianna immediately fell to the ground.

She looked up and glared fiercely at the other person.

"No matter what you say... you've offended the entire Crownguard family..."

"So what if I offended you?" Chen Ce smiled dismissively.

"Very well..." Tianna laughed in exasperation, "I grant your request... I will no longer force Luxanna ... but you... you will bear the wrath of the entire Crownguard family ..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ce couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Then, under Lux's pleading gaze, he crouched down.

He pinched Tianna's pretty face again.

"You seem to be a little out of touch with reality..." Chen Ce smiled, but his eyes gradually turned cold. "I'm not afraid of you at all, understand? Neither your position as Grand Marshal, nor the so-called Crownguard family behind you... I'm not afraid of any of it."

"You should be grateful Lux is here today, and you should also be grateful that what you said at the beginning wasn't about killing me..."

"It's not that you've shown mercy by not sending the army or letting me go today; it's that I've let you go... not just today, but also in the future."

"You and your army, I spared you..."

"To me, you are utterly fragile."

After saying that, Chen Ce teasingly lifted Lux's delicate chin before standing up to face Lux —he felt a little embarrassed for bullying Lux's aunt in front of her.

Even if that aunt resembles a "wicked aunt" from a fairy tale.

"I'm sorry, I think I went a bit too far today... I hope you won't blame me, Miss Lux."

"I..." Lux didn't know what to say for a moment.

Ultimately, this whole farce stemmed from her... because she disobeyed her aunt's orders, because she almost got slapped by her aunt...

Will her aunt resent her? She doesn't know... but if this can bring her freedom...

The freedom she had always longed for...

That...

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, please don't hesitate to come to me." Chen Ce bowed again to Lux, who was bowing her head, and gently ruffled her beautiful long blonde hair once more. "Well then... goodnight, see you later."

"Goodnight..." Lux didn't dare look her aunt in the eye and only dared to respond to Chen Ce in the softest voice.

When she looked up again, the familiar figure had already disappeared.

Tianna also got up from the ground—she looked somewhat disheveled, but her haughty expression remained.

"Do... do we need to issue an arrest warrant...?" a guard who had just been knocked down asked with difficulty, clutching his stomach.

Tianna's face was very gloomy.

But after a moment of thought and hesitation, she shook her head.

"Everyone, just pretend this never happened, keep it buried in your hearts, understand?"

Upon hearing this, the guards, who were barely conscious, all showed expressions of surprise and confusion.

But Tianna offered no explanation and walked away on her own—ignoring even the anxious Lux.

Actually, her thinking was very simple... In the end, it boils down to one sentence: Don't wash your dirty linen in public.

She would never easily reveal what happened today until she was confident she could deal with Chen Ce.

The fact that a Grand Marshal and her guard were killed by a lowly Mageseekers... This kind of joke will undoubtedly affect her career.

And then there's Lux... her ambiguous relationship with Chen Ce... which will also affect her future plans—if outsiders find out.

As for Chen Ce himself—how could a mere Mageseekers possess such strength...that's another matter entirely. She needs to have her subordinates investigate thoroughly; if they can find something wrong and pin a charge on him, that would be ideal...but that's a matter for later.

Now all she has to do is keep it a secret.

Even if she's angry and frustrated right now, she has to pretend it never happened and move on.

Sacrificing her career for a moment's satisfaction... she couldn't do something so foolish. If she were truly so eager to prove herself, she wouldn't have risen all the way to the position of Grand Marshal.

"We'll settle the scores of the future later..."

Tianna touched her chin, which Chen Ce had just lifted, her eyes filled with indescribable emotions.

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Miss Sona, please don't overthink it!

Chen Ce never thought Tianna was a good person.

On a smaller scale, she morally blackmails her family, decides her children's marriages on behalf of other people's parents, uses false reasons to cover up her own personal desires, and even resorts to violence against Lux simply because she refuses to obey her—this is unjust.