Chapter 43: Song Lian

Ever since that black-robed man walked out of the courtyard, the alley suddenly became quiet. Xu Yu and Li Huo two people who were standing on the tall building exchanged glances, already seeing the concern in the other's eyes.

But the middle-aged daoist nun did not think that much. In fact, she would not go and think that much at all. She just looked at the arrival and said angrily, "Do you want to die?!"

The black-robed man ignored this daoist nun. He just glanced at that youth who was already seriously injured and said calmly, "I'm going to take him away."

"Impossible!" The middle-aged daoist nun howled sharply. The entire courtyard suddenly began shaking. Just today, she had experienced too many things. In order to kill that youth, she had paid too great a price, especially when she was practically seriously injured by that youth before. Everything that happened made her determined to kill Chen Chao.

Hence, she had practically lost all reason at this moment. That black-robed man had a mysterious origin, but she did not care. After roaring sharply, her whisk waved and countless streams of qi already flooded out. The alleyway was dilapidated in the first place. At this moment, under this surging qi, it was practically collapsing.

The middle-aged daoist nun was already a Great Beyond cultivator. Coupled with this attack filled with anger, one could imagine how great the power was. But the strange thing was that the black-robed man did not dodge.

He stood where he was and did not take a step back.

He watched the qi continue to sweep toward him and also watched the countless silk threads stabbing at him like countless swords.

In the next moment, those silk strands landed on his body like a torrential rainstorm. He was already enveloped by the whisk in an instant.

The black-robed man did not speak and also did not make a move. He just allowed the thousands of streams of qi to land on his body and also allowed the whisk to strike his own body freely. He did not teeter and also did not show any pain. He stood firm like an old pine tree in a storm.

Just this scene already terrified Xu Yu and Li Huo who were watching on that tall building.

Their cultivation realms were similar to that daoist nun; all Great Beyond Realm. If that daoist nun was unable to harm the black-robed man, then even if the two of them took action, it would be useless too.

It was just that at this time, the daoist nun was already close to berserk and could not calm down enough to think about those things. She just mustered up the qi within her body frenziedly and kept slamming forward. The surging qi was akin to waves hitting the shore; continuously striking that black-robed man's body.

......

......

Xu Yu heaved a sigh and said softly, "It's Great Liang Dynasty's military official."

This sentence truly contained far too many things. Li Huo understood it all, he was just somewhat perplexed.

He was puzzled by something else.

Why would the Great Liang Dynasty take up arms for such a puny little warden?

They had no way of knowing what that black-robed man's cultivation realm was at the moment. But, he was at least a high-rank Great Beyond martial artist. Such a martial artist was merely a step away from Nepenthe Realm.

If such a martial artist was commanding troops in the Great Liang Dynasty, there would likely be no less than 50 thousand under his command.

But why would he show up in such a remote little county town in Wei Prefecture?

The two were both pondering about this and forming many thoughts.

Li Huo suddenly shouted, "Junior Apprentice Sister, stop!"

How could the berserk daoist nun listen to him? She only had a single thought at this moment, and that was to kill these two people in front of her.

The black-robed man shook his head. After allowing the daoist nun to attack for a long time, he understood it too. The daoist nun in front of him indeed would not stop anymore. Hence, he drew a deep breath and took a step out, torrential qi suddenly overflowing from his body. He extended an arm and caught that daoist nun's whisk in his hand. Then, he bent his elbow and slammed into the daoist nun's chest.

In just an instant, the daoist nun flew far away like a kite with a broken string. She smashed through a stone wall and fell into the ruins.

The very moment this black-robed man made his move, the daoist nun could not last for even a second.

At the same time, a streak of saber light suddenly appeared. Chen Chao who had not made any moves behind this black-robed man this entire time suddenly exploded at this moment. Leaping up, he gripped his saber as he rushed towards that daoist nun. His speed made even that black-robed man feel somewhat surprised. But he quickly reached an arm out and directly grabbed Chen Chao's collar and threw him back. Chen Chao fell heavily uncontrollably, kicking up a good amount of dust.

This time, he struggled a few times but failed to turn over and get up.

Blood seeped out of the corners of Chen Chao's mouth, his injuries worsening.

But only at this moment, did he truly feel relieved.

Letting out a long sigh of relief, his mind finally eased up considerably.

After waiting for so long, what he wanted had always been this situation.

He was merely an ant in the eyes of the Great Liang Dynasty and foreign cultivators. If both sides hoped for him to die, then it would be impossible for him to have any lease of life. What he wanted to do was to make the Great Liang Dynasty protect him.

At least, to not let him die silently at the hands of foreign land cultivators for the time being.

This was also what Zhou Gouqi talked about before; the fundamental manifestation of putting himself under sunlight.

For this, he had put in a lot of effort. All of his tricks were for this very moment now.

Thinking up to here, Chen Chao's mind began to blur and he finally could not hold on anymore.

He fainted.

......

......

"Junior Apprentice Sister?!"

Xu Yu and Li Huo flew down. Xu Yu faced off against the black-robed man in the small alley, while Li Huo chose to check on that daoist nun's life and death.

"This official didn't exert strength, she won't die."

The black-robed man spoke calmly and turned to look at Chen Chao who could not get up again at this moment.

Xu Yu frowned and said, "Does your esteemed self know our identity? When does your Great Liang Dynasty treat guests like so?"

There was no expression on the black-robed man's firm face. He just said calmly, "The two of you are foreign land cultivators and all qi refiners from the South Heaven Sect and Three Streams Manor respectively. This official knows about this, but when have foreign land cultivators ceased to be the Great Liang Dynasty's citizens?!"

His first sentence was extremely unyielding.

This was also setting the tone.

Indeed, foreign land cultivators were naturally aloof from worldly affairs and could disregard imperial authority. But when tracing to the source, that agreement signed by the various major sects back then in the Divine Capital did not say that foreign land sects were places outside of the law and that foreign cultivators were not bound by the law.

"You're courting death!"

Xu Yu waved his hand and the South Heaven Sect's cultivators gathered around. The Three Streams Manor came over here too. Even if this person's cultivation realm was profound, they had a chance to kill him too.

The black-robed man was expressionless, he just raised his eyebrow and glanced at Xu Yu.

Then, the sound of footsteps gradually grew. Countless figures came from all directions, all dressed in black robes, wearing official boots, and with sabers hanging from their waists.

The black-robed man raised his hand and those people already placed their hands on the saber hilt.

Killing intent spread out.

Xu Yu felt those auras and was a little stupefied. But very soon, he pointed at the Chen Chao who had already fainted in the small alley over there, and said indifferently, "This person killed our people for no reason. The evidence is solid. What should you do?!"

Foreign land cultivators were not willing to reason some things out, so they needed someone who could force them to reason things out. After this person came, they chose to discuss things rationally again.

The black-robed man's expression did not change as he said calmly, "Whether or not it's groundless, it needs investigation. According to the agreement signed by the various major sects in the Divine Capital back then, if my Great Liang's official kills foreign land cultivators without authorization, they will be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review to review their crime, and not be dealt with by you all freely."

There were many agreements signed in the Divine Capital. But actually, in these 200 over years, other than the Great Liang Dynasty's adherence to the agreement to provide resources for the various major sects day in and day out, there were already many foreign land cultivators who did not keep to that agreement. That agreement had long already become a piece of blank paper to some extent.

But, an agreement was still an agreement.

When it was not mentioned, anybody could ignore it.

But when it was mentioned, it would be different.

Li Huo helped up the daoist nun who had already passed out. Looking at this dense crowd of martial artists, he felt somewhat disgusted from the bottom of his heart. He finally managed to suppress this disgust before saying, "Whose orders are you following?"

He was much more awake than Xu Yu. Since it had already happened, Li Huo only wanted to figure out one thing: that was who wanted to protect that youth?

Who wanted to deal with their southern qi refiner lineage?

The black-robed man was expressionless. He just took off the iron token at his waist and slowly raised it up, and said calmly, "Commander Song Lian of the Divine Capital's Left Guard. I was ordered by Lord Warden to detain Tianqing County's Warden Chen Chao, who killed four foreign cultivators without authorization, back to the Court of Judicial Review for trial."

The Divine Capital's Left Guard and Right Guard, were both government offices responsible for the Divine Capital's safety. The leaders of the two guards were commanders. Furthermore, they were under the jurisdiction of The Warden.

Hearing the words Lord Warden, Xu Yu's expression became ugly. Li Huo furrowed his brows too.

The Great Liang Dynasty had indeed always been humble when facing foreign cultivators. But fundamentally, what the Great Liang Dynasty was afraid of, were those sects who possessed powerful cultivators. They were afraid that they did not have the strength to deal with them.

But to the immortal cultivators, there were also some people in the Great Liang Dynasty who were not to be trifled with.

That Great Liang's Warden, was one of them.

A martial artist who had long already stepped into Nepenthe Realm. Even if it was them, these immortal cultivators, they would also consciously put away their contempt, leaving only respect.

Let alone would they dare to easily provoke them?

A Nepenthe Realm cultivator was not what every sect had.

Such a person held monstrous authority in the Great Liang Dynasty too and was long already standing at a height.

But, why would he see the ants in the dust, and act to protect such a youth?

"According to the agreement back then, even if you all want to escort this evildoer back to the Divine Capital, we'll also have to attend the trial! Great Liang can't shelter him too!"

Li Huo frowned, his expression ugly. At present, saying this sentence was the only thing that he could do.

"That's indeed the case. When the Court of Judicial Review is holding the trial, we'll naturally invite everyone to attend it. See if my Great Liang Dynasty is going to protect this person or not." Song Lian glanced at the two and said calmly, "The two of you can head to the Divine Capital yourselves, or return to your sects first. The Court of Judicial Review will inform everyone about the trial by-laws."

"My Three Streams Manor won't give up like this."

Li Huo threw out this sentence icily, then turned around and left. The current situation was no longer what he could control. Leaving was the best choice.

The Three Streams Manor's cultivators left.

Xu Yu snorted coldly and left too.

Song Lian was expressionless. He just looked toward that youth who had already passed out now.

That was a scalding hot potato.

A youth who already set off a storm in the Divine Capital before even appearing in the Divine Capital. How could he possibly be a simple guy?