"Hmm?" Chu Chen's eyes snapped open, a flicker of shock in them, for the sword light was too fast.
Chu Chen looked up at the dark ceiling and saw a treasure sword emitting a sharp glow embedded in the wooden eaves, letting out a loud 'clang'.
"Who!" Chu Chen roared, his reaction swift as he instantly leaped up and blasted through the roof.
Whoosh! A burly figure clad in heavy armor charged into the room, a broadsword nearly half a meter long gripped in his right arm.
His eyes were bloodshot, and a thick aura of malevolence and killing intent emanated from him.
"Chu Chen, I've had such a hard time finding you!" Li Zhongcheng said with a ferocious grin, pointing his sword at Chu Chen.
"I've finally found you, I'm going to kill you! Kill you! Kill you!"
"Aren't you afraid of death?" Chu Chen asked.
"Afraid of death?" Li Zhongcheng laughed wildly. "There's nothing left for me to fear. You all will accompany me to the grave!"
"Kill me, and you won't be able to leave Jinling City alive. I'll make sure everyone knows you killed me!"
Li Zhongcheng shouted maniacally, his facial expression becoming increasingly deranged, as if he were truly prepared to die.
"You don't want to live? Then I'll make sure you don't get your wish!" Chu Chen slowly drew the short sword hanging at his waist. His swordsmanship was peculiar.
Seemingly simple and unadorned, it hid unfathomable trajectories. Each sword strike precisely evaded Li Zhongcheng's attacks.
Chu Chen's movements were elusive. With a thrust of his sword, he appeared before Li Zhongcheng like a phantom.
"Pfft!" A splash of crimson blood flew out. Li Zhongcheng clutched his chest, looking down at the wound on his torso, staring at Chu Chen in disbelief.
He had only felt a chilling gust of wind, and then he knew nothing else.
"No... how is this possible!" A question surfaced in Li Zhongcheng's mind.
His cultivation was far superior to Chu Chen's, so how could he be killed in a single move?
"You think your martial arts are formidable? Little do you know, you are merely a frog in a well," Chu Chen snorted coldly.
"Since you insist on seeking death, I shall cleanse the house for the nation!"
Li Zhongcheng's corpse fell to the ground, blood staining the floor.
"Li Zhongcheng is dead. Now it's your turn." Chu Chen surveyed his surroundings, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Hearing his words, the surrounding soldiers immediately showed fear, backing away with deep apprehension in their eyes.
"Kill him!" Someone shouted, and the clash of blades and spears ensued.
Chu Chen sneered, his steps unfurling like a phantom, dodging several cold glints in an instant.
"Bang!" A soldier's wrist exploded, his entire arm mangled, and he fell to the ground with a scream.
"Swish!" Chu Chen brandished his short sword, piercing another man's throat in a flash. Blood gushed out.
"Clang clang clang..." The short sword was unstoppable, slicing through any soldier who approached Chu Chen, their throats cut, blood spraying, and dying on the spot.
A quarter of an hour later, all the soldiers lay in pools of blood, their deaths gruesome. Their eyes were wide open, pupils dilated, clearly dead.
"Why did you force me to kill you?" Chu Chen murmured, his eyes slightly moist. He squatted down.
He wiped the bloodstains from his short sword with his sleeve, then sheathed it and turned towards the palace.
Meanwhile, in the Golden Imperial Hall.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Li Zhongcheng has been executed. The other three traitors have also been apprehended," the guard responsible for investigating Li Zhongcheng said respectfully.
"Very good." Long Kun, on the dragon throne, nodded slightly, then his gaze swept over the five people kneeling in the center of the hall.
"You five are the highest-ranking officials in Jinling City. I shall spare your lives, remembering your past service on the battlefield.
But I hope you will remember today's lesson. Should you dare to betray me again, you will be executed without mercy!"
With that, Long Kun flicked his sleeve and departed. The remaining five people in the hall exchanged glances, their expressions complex.
"Old Qin, we are both old now. We have achieved nothing in this life. It's better to enjoy our twilight years. Don't get involved in such matters anymore," a thin middle-aged man said in a low voice.
"Heh heh, Old Liu, you say that so easily. Do you really think the Emperor is so benevolent?
Just wait and see, sooner or later, the old Emperor will make us his scapegoats!" another short, stout middle-aged man replied.
Chu Family Residence.
"Father, you're back!" Chu Chen pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Chu Yunshan sitting in the pavilion, leisurely drinking tea.
"Chen'er, you're back!" Chu Yunshan put down his teacup and stood up.
Chu Chen smiled and nodded. "Father, we're leaving tomorrow. What about you? Are you coming with us?"
"I've decided to resign from my post and will live in the capital from now on," Chu Yunshan said with a wry smile. "After all, I'm over sixty. I've enjoyed what I should.
There's no need to keep striving. Besides, I'm tired of the power struggles."
Chu Chen was silent for a moment. He knew his father had been exhausted these past few years. If not for the pressure, his father wouldn't have had to tread so carefully in his official career.
"Chen'er, you don't understand politics. When your grandfather was alive, although our Chu family wasn't a top-tier noble family,
we were still considered a prestigious clan. But now... alas..." Chu Yunshan sighed and shook his head.
"I've made up my mind. From now on, I'll live out my days in this small capital."
Chu Chen's brows furrowed. He had known since childhood that his father disliked vying for power, but he still didn't try to dissuade him.
Instead, he said earnestly, "Father, I hope you don't regret your decision today."
Chu Chen frowned slightly, said no more, and turned to leave.
"Regret?" Chu Yunshan stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "I've never regretted it!"
"This brat, what a waste of effort!" Chu Yunshan shook his head helplessly.
"However, his saying that proves he still cares about his father. And how can I not worry about Chen'er?"
"Alas, forget it. Since Chen'er is determined to leave, I will respect his wishes."
Chu Chen didn't know that his words had made Chu Yunshan change his mind and strengthen his resolve.
Otherwise, he would never have left the Chu family. At least, before leaving, he would absolutely not allow his father to be involved.
The next morning, a carriage drove out of the Chu residence and slowly disappeared at the end of the street.
The Chu family mansion was not far from the imperial palace, only two blocks away.
The carriage stopped midway.
Chu Chen lifted the curtain and saw several generals in armor standing in front of the carriage, blocking their path.
"Sir officer, what business do you have with us?" The driver was an ordinary old man. He asked tremblingly, afraid of angering these fierce-looking soldiers.