Chapter 1760: Slapping the Mouth

Li Shangfeng's struggle had no effect at all.

The young man seemed determined to take him down and didn't intend to give him a chance to be interrogated. This also made sense in the eyes of the pedestrians; after all, such a terrifying and dangerous existence wandering on Xuanwu Avenue was truly frightening.

Li Shangfeng's struggle and roar still attracted the attention of many pedestrians, and more and more people gathered nearby, and the road gradually became crowded.

At the same time, on the corridor of the Grand Historian's Office at the end of Xuanwu Avenue, Brand's figure also walked out.

"You mean..."

"Those three pieces of trash, not only failed to kidnap his sister, but were killed by him instead?"

"And he's still causing trouble on Xuanwu Avenue now??"

Brand's face looked as ugly as if he had eaten a fly. He stared fixedly at his subordinate behind him and slapped him directly in the face, making a crisp sound!

"What the hell are you all doing?!!"

"Alchemy Association, how did you raise a bunch of trash like you!!"

Half of that person's face immediately swelled up, and he lowered his head tremblingly, not daring to speak.

At this time, He Jing, who had been waiting quietly to the side, spoke:

"Lord Brand, many of the guards patrolling Xuanwu Avenue today have dealings with us... The situation has already been controlled, and that Li Shangfeng can't make much of a splash."

Hearing this, Brand's face finally softened. He looked deeply at He Jing, the gray-haired young man who was the only one who could get things done, and sighed long:

"No matter how small the trouble is, word will always get out... what if the Emperor hears about it..."

"Lord Brand is overthinking. Why would the Emperor care about such a small matter?" He Jing spoke again unhurriedly. "If you are worried, I will go to the palace right now... I have already arranged everything, and it is not difficult to extinguish a piece of news."

Brand's eyes finally lit up.

He walked up to He Jing, looked at this plain-looking gray-haired young man, and his eyes were full of trust and relief... He patted He Jing on the shoulder:

"He Jing, it's fortunate that the Grand Historian's Office has you... After this storm passes, I will definitely find a way to promote you."

He Jing smiled and saluted respectfully:

"Thank you, my lord."

"As for that Li Shangfeng..." Brand's gaze looked faintly toward the end of Xuanwu Avenue, "Before he enters the Chengtian Prefecture, find a way to bring him to our Grand Historian's Office... His edges are too sharp, if they aren't polished well, he won't be easy to use for us in the future."

"Yes."

Li Shangfeng naturally wouldn't have thought that the moment he stepped onto Xuanwu Avenue, a web made of complex power had already sealed all his paths of retreat...

His legs were forcibly kicked to bend, and his whole body knelt on the ground like a stray dog. His charred chest heaved violently in anger, and the arrogant young man walked slowly to him, his black coat reflecting a faint light in the bustling city.

"What? You still want to resist?" The young man saw the defiance in his eyes and sneered,

"You're a Second-Order, with no background and no backing. Here in the Chengtian Realm... who do you think you can possibly resist?"

"I'll be honest with you: even without me, your accusations regarding the Taishi Bureau wouldn't make it past Xuanwu Avenue today... Any mansion on this street could crush a hundred ants like you with a flick of their finger."

"The powers on Xuanwu Avenue are deeply intertwined. They don't just control the lifeblood of the Chengtian Realm; they influence every major prison in the Gray World. They have long since woven a net that ensnares all living things. Let alone you..."

The young man slowly leaned into Li Shangfeng’s ear and sneered in a whisper,

"I’m afraid even that person in the imperial palace... wouldn't dare to act rashly now."

Li Shangfeng’s pupils contracted slightly.

These words were absolute treason, yet the young man dared to speak them so recklessly. Firstly, he wasn't afraid of an ant like Li Shangfeng blabbing; to a young master like him, who had been pampered since birth and knew nothing of the world's heights, Li Shangfeng didn't even count as a "person." Secondly, he truly had something to rely on—it was rumored that the situation of the one in the palace was becoming increasingly dire.

That Emperor had suppressed the mortal realm for over three hundred years. Countless noble families and dukes had risen and fallen under his rule, and that fear and resentment had long been festering within the dynasty...

At this moment, a significant number of people within the Chengtian Dynasty were plotting the exact same thing...

He couldn't possibly be immortal, could he?

Of course, the people at the very bottom of the realm would never know any of this. The sky above their heads remained clear, and they couldn't sense the undercurrents surging at all.

Li Shangfeng glared at the young man, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. He had already bitten through several teeth, too furious to speak.

Just then, a hand gently rested on his shoulder from behind.

"Who said..."

"...he has no backing?"

A calm voice rang out by Li Shangfeng’s ear. He was stunned for a moment, then turned around in bewilderment...

Before he knew it, a figure in a red-bottomed, black-patterned opera robe was standing behind him. Vermilion earrings swayed gently in the wind, and a pair of scarlet eyes narrowed in the dim light, revealing no expression whatsoever.

Boss Chen??

Li Shangfeng was dumbfounded. He never expected Boss Chen to step out and protect him at a time like this... His heart tightened, and he opened his blood-stained lips to warn him:

"Boss Chen, this has nothing to do with you! You don't need to worry about me!"

The young man looked Chen Ling up and down and couldn't help but laugh: "Which theater are you a stage actor from? Coming here to put on a show? 'Backing'... what kind of backing? A circus?"

Chen Ling didn't speak. He just glanced coldly at the young man. The next second, a terrifying pressure, like a vast, surging flood, crashed down onto the young man’s shoulders!

Bang—!!

The young man felt his vision blur as his knees slammed into the earth.

Dense cracks spread beneath him. Under that horrific pressure, blood couldn't stop flowing from his seven orifices... He knelt there before Li Shangfeng like a pathetic, mangy dog crushed under a mountain.

This scene drew gasps from the onlookers. One had to realize that wearing those black robes meant being a guard of Xuanwu Avenue. On this street, who would dare force a guard to kneel??

Even Li Shangfeng was stunned. He stared at the back of Chen Ling’s fluttering opera robe, too bewildered to speak.

Chen Ling didn't even look at the young man, as if attacking him would only dirty his own hands. A flash of disgust crossed his narrowed, ruby-like eyes...

"Li Laide," Chen Ling said indifferently, "slap him."

Li Laide froze.

His gaze fell upon the young man pinned to the ground like a dead dog, and an inexplicable impulse surged in his heart... He recognized this guy; he was a spoiled brat from one of the noble families. When Li Laide was fleeing and in exile, he had been hunted by people from that family more than once.

Li Laide hesitated for only a split second before stepping in front of the young man. His deep blue eyes clearly reflected the young man’s look of disbelief, and then he raised his hand...

"You dare..." the young man said, opening his mouth in anger.

Slap—!!!

A loud, crisp slap echoed through the night sky.

……

……

There will be one more chapter, a little later.