"The Liu family truly is extremely overbearing, threatening to exterminate entire clans at the slightest provocation," Chen Nan said with a bitter laugh.
Even the laws of the underworld did not permit the easy extermination of entire clans. Yet, these people spoke of it so casually. It was clear how arrogant and tyrannical the Liu family had become.
"However, you probably won't get the chance to exterminate my entire clan," Chen Nan's gaze turned cold, and a righteous aura emanated from him. "I, Chen Nan, am here today on behalf of the county yamen and the imperial law to apprehend you, father and son, and bring you to justice!"
"What qualifications do you, an ant, have to represent imperial law?" Liu Qingfeng roared, turning to the two experts. "Would you two please kill these constables? I want them to know the consequences of daring to arrest people at the Liu family!"
"Yes!"
The two experts drew their swords and charged at Chen Nan and his companions.
Song Yunfei directly produced his slingshot. Without a word, he pulled back and aimed for one of the expert's eyes!
*Whoosh!*
The iron pellet whizzed through the air and instantly struck the man's eye. The expert clutched his bleeding eye, letting out a heart-wrenching scream. He had never expected someone to use a hidden weapon.
Chen Nan looked at Song Yunfei beside him and, as if possessed by Jay Chou, exclaimed, "Wow, not bad!"
Song Yunfei chuckled, "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."
*Clang!*
As the other expert lunged forward, Chen Nan drew his saber from its sheath. The blade gleamed with a cold light. Before Song Yunfei could fire a second pellet, Chen Nan's saber struck the middle-aged man's sword, sending him flying back five or six meters. He landed with a thud and spat up a mouthful of blood.
"???"
"???"
Song Yunfei and the others gasped. What was going on? How could Chen Nan be so powerful? He had defeated the opponent in a single move! Song Yunfei looked at his slingshot and suddenly realized that it was somewhat superfluous. Even if he hadn't injured one of them earlier, Chen Nan's strength alone would have been enough to crush these two experts. This left them all deeply unsettled. The experts of the Liu family were formidable. Even Wu Jiu might not have been able to defeat them in a one-on-one fight, let alone the fact that Chen Nan had heavily injured one of them with a single strike.
"I'll kill you!" the middle-aged man whose eye had been shot out roared, thrusting his sword at Chen Nan's chest. Chen Nan casually raised his saber, deflecting the sword to the side. Then, he punched the man squarely in the chest.
*Puff!*
The middle-aged man vomited blood and was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He didn't breathe again after landing. Their strength was comparable to the Houtian realm, while Chen Nan's was comparable to the Xiantian realm. Even if both of them had attacked together, they wouldn't have been able to defeat him, especially with one of them being blind in one eye.
Chen Nan sheathed his saber and said calmly, "Lord Wenbo, Patriarch Liu, you two will be coming with us!"
Liu Zhiyuan and Liu Qingfeng, father and son, turned pale. They had never imagined Chen Nan's strength to be so formidable. In normal circumstances, they wouldn't have been afraid. The Liu family had a cultivator in the Soul Gathering realm who could surely kill Chen Nan. The problem was, that cultivator was away on business and not at the estate.
"You, surnamed Chen, are just a mere constable. Do you know my status?" Liu Zhiyuan roared. "I am Lord Wenbo, and my Liu family holds a hereditary marquisate. You lowly commoners should be kneeling before me."
"And yet, you dare to try and arrest me and take me to the yamen?"
Chen Nan cupped his hands towards the heavens, his voice filled with righteousness. "The Son of Heaven commits a crime the same as a commoner. Even if you are Lord Wenbo, you must return with us to the county yamen for investigation."
Liu Qingfeng bristled, "My Liu family possesses a 'golden plaque of exemption from death' bestowed by the Great Emperor. Even if we were to commit the crime of exterminating nine generations, we could be pardoned."
Chen Nan looked at Song Yunfei and asked with feigned curiosity, "Does the Liu family really have a golden plaque of exemption from death?"
Song Yunfei nodded sheepishly. It was common knowledge that the Liu family possessed such a plaque. Chen Nan appeared slightly embarrassed. "If your Liu family truly has a golden plaque of exemption from death, I will leave with my men right now and confess my crime to Your Lordship!"
"Wait here, I will retrieve the golden plaque of exemption from death immediately," Liu Zhiyuan said with a heavy snort and was helped into the Lord Wenbo's mansion by a maid.
About five minutes later, he returned, carrying a brocade box made of nanmu wood.
"To see the golden plaque of exemption from death is like the Great Emperor personally arriving. Everyone must perform a kowtow!" Liu Zhiyuan declared. His servants and son immediately knelt.
However, Chen Nan and his companions remained standing.
Liu Zhiyuan demanded, "Why are you not kneeling?"
Chen Nan retorted, "We haven't seen the golden plaque of exemption from death, so why should we kneel?"
"In that case, I shall disabuse you of your doubts," Liu Zhiyuan said, opening the brocade box and taking out a palm-sized, golden plaque of exemption from death. He roared, "To see the golden plaque of exemption from death is like the Great Emperor personally arriving. Why are you not kneeling now?"
"Wait!" Chen Nan interrupted. "I have a question. You say this is a golden plaque of exemption from death, but is it truly so? Who can prove that this plaque is genuine?"
Liu Zhiyuan's face turned green with anger. "What do you mean? Are you accusing me of using a fake golden plaque of exemption from death?"
"Young man, do you know that using a fake golden plaque of exemption from death is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations?"
Chen Nan snatched the plaque from Liu Zhiyuan's hand and weighed it in his palm. "Although you have produced a golden plaque of exemption from death, the authenticity of this plaque needs to be verified. How about this, you come with us to the yamen. Let Governor Yuan inspect the authenticity of this plaque. After all, we have never seen a golden plaque of exemption from death before." He said this while placing the plaque back into the brocade box in Liu Zhiyuan's arms.
Liu Zhiyuan sneered, "Even if you hadn't said so, we would have come to the county yamen to demand a reasonable explanation from Governor Yuan for my Liu family." Chen Nan had killed his grandson on the street and now, with his men, was threatening to arrest him and his son. They had to confront Yuan Zun about this matter and demand a satisfactory explanation.
"Then let's go!" Chen Nan produced handcuffs and leg shackles, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"How dare you!" Liu Zhiyuan was so enraged his lungs felt like they would explode. "I am Lord Wenbo. Not only am I innocent, but how can you put shackles on me if I were guilty?"
Song Yunfei whispered nervously in Chen Nan's ear, "Indeed, you cannot shackle them."
"In that case, please accompany us, Your Lordship!" Chen Nan reluctantly put away the restraints and made an inviting gesture.
Once Liu Zhiyuan and Liu Qingfeng, father and son, got into the carriage, they were escorted majestically towards the county yamen. This scene shocked countless onlookers. No one had expected to see six constables armed with sabers surrounding the Lord Wenbo's carriage. The implication of this scene was clear.
---
Meanwhile, Yuan Zun also learned of the events on the street, a look of shock on his face. "Chen Nan actually brought Lord Wenbo in? What exactly is this guy trying to do?"
"How should I cooperate with him?"