234: Chapter 17: See You Off 234: Chapter 17: See You Off “Xie Zhen, I know you are immensely powerful, Prince Jiangning is no match for you, and probably neither is the senior disciple of the Martial Sect, but if the whole world stands against you, do you really think you can fight your way through?”
Yuan Jimo’s smile emerged but soon solidified.
He had been observing the reaction of the young man in black.
He knew.
This youngster wore a mask that concealed his true face, a magic artifact, but the eyes do not lie; the young man’s expression had not changed much throughout.
At this moment.
Xie Xuanyi watched calmly and indifferently from atop his horse at the head of the Imperial City Directorate.
He did not speak.
There was no need to speak.
The message in his eyes was.
Why can’t I?
If the whole world stood against me…
how could I not fight my way through?
This was something he had done ten years ago, when he had killed more people than there were on this street.
What he faced at that time.
Was indeed the entire world itself.
“Swoosh!”
The irrational Lin Yu threw his second punch, and suddenly a second figure appeared on the long street.
Wu Yue, the senior disciple of the Martial Sect who was originally among the crowd, suddenly felt a chill on his back and in an instant moved in front of disciple Lin Yu, grabbing the angered fist and forcefully controlling his junior fellow disciple who possessed the Golden Body of the Eighth Heaven.
And at that moment.
An extremely fine thread of Sword Intent shot through the air.
Nobody saw how this thread of Sword Intent was unleashed, only noticing what seemed a flicker at Xie Zhen’s brow.
The next moment.
An empty building across Yong’an Street was blown into fragments, bricks and dust billowing in the air, as the thread of Sword Qi brushed past Lin Yu’s cheek…
Lin Yu was completely stunned.
A chill passed over his cheek and his most prized Golden Body felt as fragile as thin paper, having just grazed the Sword Qi, fresh blood ran down one side of his face.
This young martial artist, barely into his twenties, watched the scene in disbelief.
If his senior brother hadn’t acted, pulling him out of the original spot.
That instant just now.
With the burst of Sword Qi, what would he have looked like?
Would he have died outright?
“Don’t fight.”
Wu Yue, his expression grim, lowered his voice, pressed his disciple’s shoulder, and said, “This guy…
really will kill.”
Martial Sect Dojo.
The Master had told him not to get involved in the Imperial City’s evening fist-fighting.
It was simple.
The Martial Sect and the Sword Palace could have remained unconflicted…
The dispute wasn’t that complex.
Only now did he understand that the future seen by the Master was much further than his own.
From Xie Zhen’s move just now.
The Imperial City’s fight-fest was clearly a trap!
If he had wanted, he could have crippled the meridians of this proud disciple of the Martial Sect earlier, instead of just knocking him unconscious.
Lin Yu also calmed down at this moment.
His whole body was trembling.
Not only because the Lin Family had been sealed but more so…
it was the fear brought about by that thread of Xie Zhen’s Sword Qi.
Back then, only those who had personally fought against Xie Xuanyi.
Would understand this kind of fear, what it meant.
…
…
The entire Yong’an Street, at this moment, fell into utter silence.
Xie Zhen’s sword had stirred chaos among the dark riders of the Imperial City; the oppressive might and killing intent of that thread of Sword Qi made the towering black horses restless, stamping the ground with their hooves.
Yuan Jimo looked at Xie Zhen with an ugly expression on his face.
This young man was calmer and crazier than he had imagined.
What is he planning to do?
Doesn’t he care at all about the noble families coming down from the North, nor about the Martial Sect?
A sea of people surrounded Xie Xuanyi.
They looked at Xie Xuanyi.
Xie Xuanyi also looked at them.
In the exchange of gazes, the looks from Yong’an Street began with boundless anger, then gradually turned to fear.
Xie Xuanyi did not open his mouth to speak, nor was there a need to.
The meaning of this exchange, everyone understood.
Is there anyone else?
If willing, it doesn’t matter if you all come at once!
The outcome of Lin Yu’s punch just now…
everyone saw it, if the senior brother of the Martial Sect hadn’t intervened, that sword would probably have ended Lin Yu’s life.
There were many people on this long street.
But from the force of that sword just now, even if they all combined, how many swords could they withstand?
“This disciple of Xie Xuanyi, is truly mad.”
In the crowd, someone cursed softly.
“…Who would be desperate enough to fight a madman?”
People started to leave Yong’an Street, more and more people dared not meet that gaze, the collapsing building unleashed dust making the dilapidated street feel even more oppressive, eventually returning the Lin Family to a broken and desolate scene, and Lin Yu was also taken away from the scene by the disciples of the Martial Sect.
Dust to dust, earth to earth.
All ultimately returned to silence.
Yuan Jimo had thought about the likely scenarios tonight, but never did he imagine…
the story would end in such an absurd fashion.
Xie Zhen stood under the spotlight.
Yet, boldly, no one dared to approach.
“What fools…”
Yuan Jimo watched those receding figures in disappointment, feeling regretful at heart.
If the Martial Sect senior brother hadn’t intervened, and Xie Zhen had killed Lin Yu, then tonight’s drama would have been thoroughly exciting.
He glanced at the young man beside him.
Xie Zhen remained calm…
Was this guy really planning to kill Lin Yu?
“Young Lord Xie, truly formidable,”
Yuan Jimo said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, “It’s a pity that the sword just now did not hit its mark.”
Xie Xuanyi simply looked expressionlessly at the Chief of the Imperial City, slowly saying, “When we reach the Northern Hunt, there will be another chance…
Won’t there?”
This statement made Yuan Jimo’s heart skip a beat.
He actually never understood.
Xie Zhen is a clever person.
Xie Zhen knew he had set a trap in the Northern Hunt.
He must also know that he was not the only one waiting for him to walk into it.
This young man clearly understood how many people in the Imperial City were watching him, how many forces wanted to kill him…
As Xie Xuanyi’s disciple, having been able to hide his identity and live as a Dark Child in the book tower until today, there was no reason for him not to know the dangers this identity brought.
Yet, he still dared to do this, still needed to do this.
Why?
…
…
The street welcomed the sunrise, and a streak of dawn advanced like a tide on Yong’an Street.
The black riders gradually dispersed.
The remnants of the Lin Family have already been captured.
Yuan Jimo looked at the young man beside him with a complex expression, tonight should have been his “victory,” but he felt no joy of victory in his heart.
Because he did not see the scene he wanted to see.
He knew that Xie Zhen would not live in the Sword Qi mansion awarded by the Holy Empress…
but after tonight’s drama, Xie Zhen had made enemies with many Northern County noble families.
The case of the Lin Family would make many people “hesitant” towards Xie Zhen, and stand against him.
However.
Xie Zhen was not angry, not irritated, even could be said to not care at all.
“Lord Yuan, will you accompany me for a part of the journey?”
Xie Zhen watched as the black riders took away the last member of the Lin family’s servants, and spoke lightly, “Of course…
not to Northern Bottle Street.”
This statement.
Made Yuan Jimo even more unable to see through this young man.
His reputation in the Imperial City was very bad.
The Imperial City Department had many things to do, half of which could not be brought to light…
such as the interrogation of the Lin Family that was to come, an interrogation for such a major case would be cold and brutal.
Tonight’s case of the Lin Mansion, many people bore grudges against Xie Zhen.
And these people, naturally, would also bear grudges against Yuan Jimo.
In fact, such cases had been occurring frequently in the Imperial City.
Yuan Jimo’s “enemies” were much more numerous than Xie Zhen’s.
“You wish to accompany me?”
Yuan Jimo laughed, saying, “Yuan would naturally welcome it.”
Xie Xuanyi walked ahead, hands behind his back.
Yuan Jimo initially planned to sit on horseback, but after thinking it through, such a scene seemed a bit strange, so he dismounted, led the horse by the reins, and walked alongside Xie Zhen.
“Tonight’s case of the Lin Mansion has already spread across the Imperial City…”
Yuan Jimo noticed, in this alley’s corners and crevices, countless gazes sizing him up, also sizing up Xie Zhen.
His expressionless face said, “Young Lord Xie, it’s best you don’t leave your residence during this period, to avoid being attacked by villains.”
“No worries, if there are villains, just kill them,”
Xie Xuanyi said calmly, “I assume, with Lord Yuan’s status, such assassination cases would be very easy to handle…
Right?”
Yuan Jimo narrowed his eyes.
Now the entire Imperial City thought the two men were “birds of a feather.”
If Xie Zhen were to draw his sword and kill someone, he really would need to clean up after him.
“Speaking of which, I am very curious about the old case from ten years ago,”
Xie Xuanyi said, “After all, my teacher…
you know as well.
I am curious, who set off such calamity, causing the Imperial City to fall into such chaos.
If it is convenient, I would like to enter the dungeon, to hear Lord Yuan interrogate the case.”
Conspiring with the Demon Country?
This crime seems too heavy for a single Lin Family to bear.
Clearly, the Lin Family was just the sacrificial lamb pushed out, making the Northern County noble families of the Imperial City collectively stand against him.
“To listen in?”
Yuan Jimo looked at Xie Zhen, finding more absurdity the more he thought about it.
This young man not only did not avoid him but even wanted to draw closer to him?
“The Imperial City Department handles cases, and all irrelevant people must leave,”
Yuan Jimo said expressionlessly, “let alone you, even the Deputy Director of the Imperial City cannot interfere in this case without an imperial decree.”
“That truly is a pity; it seems there will only be one declaration of the verdict left…
If handled this way, it is prone to provoke countless grievances,”
Xie Xuanyi’s face showed no regret as he said, “It seems, Lord Yuan offending the Northern County noble families will only be deeper than what I have done.”
Yuan Jimo still just laughed it off, unmoved.
“It seems you do not care…
indeed, these Northern County noble families are not the real power holders of the Imperial City,”
Xie Xuanyi spoke softly, “After all, standing behind you is the Holy Empress, the highest of the Imperial Family in Da Chu.”
“All these years, working hard for the Holy Empress, must have been tough, right?”
He asked earnestly, “If one day, Lord Yuan loses the Holy Favor, what would it be like?”
“These concerns are unnecessary for you,”
Yuan Jimo said coldly, “You should worry about yourself…
Will you live to see that day?”
Xie Xuanyi nodded, stopping in his tracks.
“We’ve arrived…
Lord Yuan, no need to see me further.”
A short distance ahead was the Chen Mansion.
Xie Xuanyi knew, their journey together had already attracted countless gazes.
He smiled, “Next time, it will be my turn to accompany you for a part of the journey.”
…
…
(PS: Last night’s plot was highly controversial, I have seen all the comments.
I hope everyone can be more patient, I have an outline and know what I am writing, and I hope readers following the updates won’t be easily swayed.)