Chapter 360: Clearing the Household
Chapter 360: Clearing the Household
In the quiet and secluded chambers of a deep palace, a noble and elegant woman sat before a bronze mirror, holding a slightly long jade scepter in her hand. Kneeling before her was a proper young lady.
"Ask him if he has any business here. If not, tell him to get out of this mansion," the noble woman said, casually waving the jade scepter in front of the young lady's face as if disciplining a fragile kitten.
This was not the first time she had done something like this, and she was starting to feel weary. The thrill of revenge she once felt was now long gone.
She truly had no interest left in Prince Ji. His foolish actions over the years had completely disqualified him from inheriting the throne.
With Jin Jiang's visit to Xuanguang Cave, it was unlikely that he would ever become the emperor of Da Qian again.
The only thing that excited her now was the substantial reward she expected for the great service she had rendered.
"When can I enter Xuanguang Cave to cultivate?" a bald man asked, biting his teeth.
"What's the rush?" Princess Ji glanced at him nonchalantly.
"Of course, I'm in a hurry!" The bald man glanced warily behind him before continuing angrily, "Wu Miaozhu is already investigating this matter. If I don't leave soon, I'll be discovered, and my life will be in danger!"
His eyes widened as he glared at the princess, "You didn't take credit for my..."
He had taken a tremendous risk to find out about the Xu family, and he wanted to ensure he got the credit he deserved.
"Silence!" Princess Ji slowly raised her jade scepter and pointed it at him, a faint smile on her lips. "You're not the only one whose life is at stake. With the commotion at the Wu Temple, it's a miracle if they can gather four Miaozhus. They have more important things to worry about than you."
"Is it that serious?" The bald man was taken aback.
"You've been in this barren land for too long. You have no idea what Xuanguang Cave is like," she replied.
Princess Ji stood up, using the jade scepter to gently tap the young lady's cheek. "Get out, you bore me."
Chen Jinyu stumbled to her feet. Her knees, which had been kneeling for so long, felt numb, and her legs trembled as if they were made of chaff. Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes were vacant, clearly her mind was elsewhere and not on the goings-on in the Prince Ji's mansion.
She couldn't understand what she had done wrong.
Her mother had died tragically, and she and her brother had grown up in the remote Qingzhou Baiyun County on the border, surviving only due to her brother's hard work and care.
She had never done anything wrong. She only helped the adults at the Demon Suppression Pavilion with their laundry, washing the clothes spotlessly clean and never asking for extra payment.
Yet, her brother had ended up in such a dire situation, and his life hung in the balance.
Chen Jinyu staggered towards the door.
Then she froze in her tracks.
Princess Ji, noticing the girl's pause, frowned slightly, annoyed. "Why are you still here? Leave now!"
Before her words had even landed, a golden light descended upon the young lady, passing through her fragile body and illuminating the entire chamber with a dazzling brightness.
Princess Ji hesitated for a moment, then glanced at the bald man beside her. Together, they walked towards the door.
As they stepped outside, their pupils dilated in fear as they witnessed the most terrifying scene of their lives.
Above the mansion, twelve three-zhang-tall golden statues stood in a circle, surrounding a six-zhang-tall figure of the Old Ancestor of the Wu Temple, who stood with his arms crossed.
Below this assemblage of golden figures, the Dark Golden Dharma Appearance loomed like a mountain, its massive face exuding an aura of inviolable dignity.
Outside the chamber, violet-golden flames raged, engulfing the entire mansion in a fiery domain.
From within this sea of fire, the black-robed youth emerged, leading Chen Ji by the hand.
Despite being in a sea of flames, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
She felt the scorching heat that was about to melt her and finally couldn't help but shout, "I am the Princess Ji...No! I am a disciple of Xuanguang Cave. How dare you be so bold?"
Usually, this title was infallible, as it represented one of the most powerful sects in the world.
Even the Wu Temple wouldn't dare to act rashly!
But at this moment, Princess Ji couldn't detect even a ripple of emotion on the faces of the golden incarnations.
They were like indifferent gods, looking down at her as if she were a corpse.
Under such an imposing presence, even the imperial palace was enveloped in silence, with no one daring to step out of the palace gate.
This was the Great Qian, the domain of the Wu Temple.
"Come here."
Shen Yi beckoned with his hand.
Finally, Chen Jinyu snapped out of her daze amidst this terrifying scene.
She hurriedly took a step forward.
In her panic, she didn't notice that as she moved, the deep chambers behind her were suddenly engulfed in violet-golden flames.
The flames seemed alive as they rushed towards the mouths and noses of Princess Ji and the bald man.
The two looked like evil spirits, their fingers desperately reaching out, like drowning victims crying for help.
Princess Ji couldn't understand why this young man completely disregarded Xuanguang Cave, disregarded evidence, and didn't even deign to look at her directly. Even the people of the Wu Temple stood by and watched as he mercilessly took their lives.
Fortunately, her confusion soon dissipated.
In just the span of a breath, she disappeared in the sea of fire, her very bones melted away.
Chen Ji finally caught his sister, but he didn't have time for pleasantries.
Instead, he looked on in shock at the scene before him.
He knew that Inspector Shen had an extremely high status and formidable strength, and he believed that he would be able to help rescue his sister.
But he never imagined that Shen would dare to openly burn a princess of the royal palace to death, right in the heart of the imperial city.
And even now, not a single person dared to intervene.
"Take your time to cry, there's no rush."
Shen Yi glanced at Chen Jinyu and then patted Chen Ji's shoulder. "You can stay here from now on. I still have matters to attend to."
As soon as these words left his mouth, the onlookers standing nearby all widened their eyes in surprise.
Even Ah Qing, who was closest to Shen Yi, had never heard him speak so casually.
In her mind, he was always ruthless and stern, never cracking a smile.
Shen Yi nodded to the bewildered Elder Chen Qiankun standing nearby. "Thank you for your help."
Then, he turned and walked out of the palace.
As his figure disappeared from view, the Nightsha incarnation transformed into a golden bead, and Zhu Jue descended, looking thoughtfully at Chen Ji before finally turning his gaze to Chen Qiankun.
At least this old man's body was clad in the Xuan Armor, indicating his status.
"May I ask the name of this general?" Zhu Jue inquired.
"No, you've got it wrong!" Chen Qiankun quickly waved his hands. "That kid just has this kind of temperament. I'm just an old man in charge of the river in Qingzhou. I don't have any special abilities."
"I'm just a subordinate of Inspector Shen," Chen Ji also shook his head.
This group clearly had extraordinary backgrounds, and they were not of the same caliber as themselves.
Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, Chen Jinyu whispered, "Inspector Shen used to be the chief constable of our Baiyun County..."
This explanation only made the situation more startling.
Before the Xu family elders could react, the elders of the Xu family had already broken out in cold sweats.
A...a constable?!
When did Da Qian become so extravagant that he could afford to have a Golden Core cultivator guarding a small county?
No wonder the Xu family had declined. With such poor judgment and wasteful spending, it was a wonder they hadn't fallen sooner.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
