Martial Cultivator

Most people were still in shock, but that voice was like a thunderclap, snapping everyone back to reality.

Someone turned around and saw that the person who spoke was an official from the Ministry of Penalty.

However, he was neither the minister nor the deputy minister, but a law officer.

That law official from the Ministry of Penalty stood up from his seat, looked around, and shouted loudly, “Where are the Imperial Guards? Quickly come and capture this scoundrel! He killed an important court official of our Great Liang Dynasty and still dares to sneak into the palace. Truly audacious to the extreme!”

This law official had been a student of Marquis Huainan, Song Ting, years ago and was one of the many who followed the Emperor in his rise to power. Now standing up to speak, it seemed somewhat abrupt but also reasonable.

With this person taking the lead, several others immediately echoed in agreement. Without a doubt, they were all court officials who had previously stood with the Emperor, and regarding the death of Marquis Huainan, some knew the details, while others did not. Regardless of their knowledge, they were unwilling to see Chen Chao appear so brazenly.

In their eyes, this young martial artist deserved to be sent not to prison but to hell.

The voices at the banquet became very noisy as many officials began to reproach Chen Chao.

Their emotions were highly agitated, they wanted to execute this young martial artist right there, believing that many problems would be resolved and their fears for the future would vanish, with the Emperor no longer conflicted.

Chen Chao stood amidst the banquet, watching those officials and listening to their voices. He did not say anything and just wanted to come sit beside Xie Nandu.

Looking as Chen Chao was about to walk away, and with the palace experts and Imperial Guards who should have appeared still absent, the officials furrowed their brows. However, realizing that the Emperor had not yet arrived, they understood something. A military official stepped out from the crowd and looked at Chen Chao, saying, “Relying on His Majesty's mercy and past favors, you act so lawlessly. This official will enforce the laws of Great Liang upon you.”

Upon seeing this military official, everyone quickly recognized his identity, Pei Ji.

The current main commander of the Qingshan Prefecture Army.

Apart from a frontier army in the Northern Frontier, each state and prefecture had its own garrison army, and Pei Ji was in charge of all military forces in Qingshan Prefecture. He came from the Pei Family of Qingshan and had joined the military early on. When the Emperor rose in rebellion, he answered his call with the Pei Family’s private army. After seizing power, he was granted command of a prefecture's military. Normally, this general of Qingshan Prefecture should have been stationed at the prefecture. But after reporting to the capital a few days ago, for reasons unknown, he had not left immediately. Now, coinciding with the Emperor's banquet, he naturally could attend.

Hearing the voices of his fellow officials, Pei Ji's expression became rather ugly, and increasingly restless. Seeing that the Imperial Guards and palace experts still had not shown up, he understood what was happening.

Since His Majesty was unwilling to take action, not wanting to bear the crime of killing his nephew, then as his subject, he would step in to do something for His Majesty.

Thinking about these matters, Pei Ji stepped forward. He was tall and imposing, with blood vitality like a deep abyss. As one of the few martial powerhouses in Great Liang, he had long stepped into the Great Beyond Realm. Over the years, his cultivation had not faltered; he continued to advance, and he was now just a hair's breadth away from truly reaching the Nepenthe Realm. He was still relatively young; only in his forties, he likely had plenty of time to strive for that realm and become a genuine powerhouse in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Chen Chao looked at this martial artist who had gained some reputation in the political arena years ago and remained silent.

The officials at the banquet watched the big and tall martial artist, thinking about many things. Although everyone knew this banquet would not pass so simply, no one expected the atmosphere to become incredibly tense right from the beginning.

The older officials who had been involved in that uprising took the lead in speaking out, and they seemed to have justifiable reasons to do so. After all, while the Court of Judicial Review had not yet concluded its investigation into the death of Marquis Huainan, Song Ting, various pieces of evidence had already indicated that Chen Chao was indeed the culprit who had killed Marquis Huainan.

As for the truth behind it, it was not particularly important. As long as Chen Chao died here today, the Court of Judicial Review would naturally conclude its case. At that point, the truth of that night would not matter anymore.

No one would bother speaking up for a dead person.

Because it was not worth it.

As Pei Ji walked toward Chen Chao, Song Lian's frown deepened. This Commander of the Left Guard remained silent for a moment before attempting to rise, only to quickly realize he was unable to move. A voice sounded out in his ear calmly, “Commander Song, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why wade into these murky waters?”

Although Song Lian was unable to determine who it was, the pressure that appeared out of nowhere was something that only a Nepenthe powerhouse could unleash to suppress a martial artist like him, who was just a step away from stepping into Nepenthe.

Song Lian's face was full of anger, but there was nothing he could do.

Pei Ji had already reached the center of the hall and was slowly walking toward Chen Chao. With each step, he carried immense pressure. For such a martial powerhouse, even though he had not yet stepped into Nepenthe, he was merely a hair's breadth away from that realm, and he was naturally extremely confident.

He was one of the representatives of the younger generation in the Great Liang Dynasty, and although everyone had been saying that no one could replace the Lord Warden Commander, in truth, if a successor could not be found within the warden faction, once he stepped into Nepenthe, it might be possible for him to contend for that seat.

Chen Chao looked at him and was still very quiet.

From the moment he arrived at the scene until now, Chen Chao had not said a single word. Whether it was the earlier rebukes from the court officials or Pei Ji speaking now, he remained silent.

Watching Pei Ji walk toward him, Chen Chao still said nothing and made no movements.

Pei Ji looked at Chen Chao and sneered, "What? Are you so scared that you don't even dare to speak?"

Chen Chao looked at him, still silent, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that smile, Pei Ji's expression darkened. In that smile, he saw many emotions, but the most prominent was contempt.

As a high-ranking official of the court and a close confidant of the Emperor, when had he ever been treated with such disdain?

Seeing this contempt, he could no longer suppress the anger in his heart and threw a heavy punch toward Chen Chao.

An endless pressure surged out from the punch, generating a fierce gust of wind, making it difficult for many of the court officials to keep their eyes open.

With a cracking sound, a fissure appeared on the ground.

For many years, nothing like this had ever happened in the Imperial City. No one dared to engage in combat here, as the most powerful martial artist of the current era resided here.

But ever since Chen Chao arrived in the Divine Capital, fights had broken out in the Imperial City more than once.

Especially this plaza - just days ago, the Ministry of Works had finished repairing it. Yet now, it seemed that it would need to be restored again.

Thinking of this, the officials from the Ministry of Works had ugly expressions, while those from the Ministry of Revenue sighed. Repairing the plaza was the responsibility of the Ministry of Works, but the funds had to come from the Ministry of Revenue.

Pei Ji unleashed a heavy punch, and Chen Chao did not evade. Instead, he crossed his arms to block the fist of this general from Qingshan Prefecture.

With a loud bang, energy exploded around them. The chaotic qi swirled continuously at their sides before dispersing, causing the alcohol on many officials' tables to ripple.

The ground beneath Chen Chao's feet was already shattered, covered in cracks.

Pei Ji's strength was formidable, but since he had not yet crossed the chasm and become a Nepenthe powerhouse. Despite his fierce attack, it was not too troublesome for Chen Chao.

In just a split second, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows, with Chen Chao using only his fists to respond, never drawing his saber.

After dozens of moves, when Pei Ji still had not managed to kill Chen Chao as he had expected, his expression became ugly. As his fists smashed out, a burst of qi exploded in front of Chen Chao's chest, forcing the young martial artist back two steps. Seeing this, Pei Ji was overjoyed. The power of his first punch had not yet dissipated, and borrowing the residual momentum of this punch, he quickly delivered a second punch. This time, the energy was stacked, and its force was even greater.

The Pei Family of Qingshan was renowned for their martial arts lineage, which had a long history. In earlier years, they were even considered one of the most prestigious martial families in the Great Liang Dynasty. Though they had fallen into decline, Pei Ji's bold gamble years ago had succeeded, bringing signs of revival to the Pei Family.

Having studied his family's martial arts since childhood, Pei Ji had a solid foundation. This punch demonstrated his skill - after it landed on Chen Chao's chest, the qi immediately exploded at just the right moment.

With the success of this punch, Pei Ji's qi continued to surge, and he was ready to follow up with a blow that would crush Chen Chao's head.

However, Chen Chao's body suddenly arched like a drawn bow, causing the surging qi to miss its mark. Then, with a punch of his own, he caught Pei Ji's wrist and twisted it forcefully.

With a cracking sound, Pei Ji's wrist broke.

Immediately after, Chen Chao struck his palm against Pei Ji's chest, dispersing the qi within, then rammed his shoulder into this general of Qingshan Prefecture. At the same time Pei Ji was about to be sent flying, Chen Chao slammed a heavy punch into his chest.

Pei Ji was sent flying backward, spitting blood uncontrollably, and could no longer get up.

The scene had unfolded far too quickly, leaving everyone present wide-eyed in disbelief.

When Pei Ji first made a name for himself, Chen Chao was likely still a youngster still wet behind his ears. But now, who could have imagined that Pei Ji who was just a hair's breadth away from stepping into the Nepenthe Realm, could not last even 15 minutes against Chen Chao.

The situation turned Pei Ji, who had intended to use this opportunity to kill Chen Chao, into a laughingstock.

The Second Prince furrowed his brows as he watched, but soon relaxed, as if he had quickly understood something.

"What audacity! To openly attack and attempt to kill a court official in the heart of the imperial city..."

After a brief silence, another official loudly spoke up. However, halfway through, Chen Chao who had been silent all along interrupted him.

"Attack and kill?"

Chen Chao stared at the official and asked calmly, "Your Excellency, are you blind? Did you not see who attacked first?"

As soon as Chen Chao spoke, the officials present were momentarily stunned, but that person quickly responded, “You are the murderer of Marquis Huainan, and General Pei was acting on behalf of the Great Liang Dynasty to apprehend the culprit...”

“Murderer? Who's the murderer?"

Chen Chao smiled and looked at the official in front of him, asking, “Did the Ministry of Penalty declare this official to be the murderer? Or was it the Court of Judicial Review? The Three Judicial Chief Ministries have not concluded the case, could it be that His Majesty issued an imperial decree stating that this official is the one who killed Marquis Huainan?”

“Since you are all officials of the court, I assume you've read the Great Liang's laws. Your Excellencies, can any of you tell this official which article of the Great Liang's law states that before a case is concluded, a court official can be killed without authorization?!”