Chapter 424: This Lowly Official Has Come to Beg For Your Forgiveness

In the main hall of the City Supervisory Division...

At this moment, the master of the place, City Supervisor Ma Ben, and City Lord Su Shengyan, were both bound and kneeling with their heads lowered.

Seated at the head of the hall was the Discipline Master from the Mount Shu Sect, with General Meng Yuan of the garrison at her side.

At this moment, Meng Yuan felt as though a fishbone was lodged in his throat, a thorn was in his side, and he was sitting on pins and needles...

The Discipline Master raised her hand and commanded, "Bring him forward!"

Two disciples of the Mount Shu Sect brought forward a young man who appeared weak and frail—it was none other than Su Wei, the City Lord's son!

As soon as Su Shengyan saw his son, distress immediately showed on his face.

Immediately, the Discipline Master asked, "Are you Su Wei?"

"Yes..." Su Wei had likely been dragged here while he was sleeping. He looked around in panic, fear evident in his eyes as he stammered, "Who are you people? My father is the Lord of Wu'an City! If you dare touch a hair on my head, he won't let you off..."

"Son, son..." Su Shengyan lifted his head and whispered from the side, "I'm here."

"Ah!" Su Wei then noticed his father kneeling right in front of him, and his face instantly paled in shock.

"Let me ask you. Was it you who tortured and killed innocent women in the City Lord's Residence, causing their souls to linger in unrest?" As the Discipline Master spoke, her face was as cold as steel.

"What?" Su Wei shook his head. "I don't know..."

The Discipline Master raised her hand, and suddenly, the sky darkened. The sunlight was completely obscured by a thick layer of dark clouds.

With a flip of her hand, she summoned the clouds!

At the same time, Jiang Yuebai, standing beside her, unfurled a scroll painting, and a group of figures floated out from it. The moment they saw Su Wei, deep-seated hatred filled their eyes.

"Ahhhhh!!!" Su Wei screamed.

Upon seeing these women, Su Wei was so terrified that he immediately tried to flee, leaping to his feet and running like a trapped beast!

With his martial arts cultivation and strong yang energy, he naturally had no reason to fear these weak ghosts.

What he feared was that the truth would be exposed, leaving him with no way to deny it!

"You still claim you didn't kill anyone?" The Discipline Master scoffed coldly, raising her hand. "Execute him."

Swoosh—

A sword light descended from the sky, piercing straight through Su Wei! Blood sprayed across the ground with a sharp splatter.

"No!" Su Shengyan wailed from the side, unable to stop it. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the Discipline Master and muttered, "You dare kill my son..."

"There's no need to rush. You're next," the Discipline Master said.

Then she ordered him to be brought forward and began another round of questioning.

"As the official of Wu'an City, did you use your power to cover up for your son?

"Have you oppressed the people, exploited the villagers?

"Have you deceived your superiors and caused the ruin of innocent families?"

"Hmph." Su Shengyan, seeing his son's death, took a resolute stand. "No need for further questioning. If you have evidence, just kill me. But remember, I hold the position of chief official under imperial decree. You should weigh the consequences yourself!"

"Heh." The Discipline Master sneered coldly. With her long-standing authority over Mount Shu, she had her own ways of getting people to speak.

Her eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light, and suddenly, two beams of dark energy shot directly into Su Shengyan's eyes.

Su Shengyan had no defense against the Discipline Master's power. His entire body shook uncontrollably before collapsing to the ground.

"I'll ask you one more time. Did you use your power to cover up your son's crimes over the years?" the Discipline Master demanded.

"Yes..." Su Shengyan answered faintly.

The general of the garrison closed his eyes helplessly.

"Have you oppressed the people and exploited the villagers?" the Discipline Master asked again.

"Yes..." Su Shengyan nodded again.

"Have you ever embezzled, abused the law, and caused the deaths of innocent people?" the Discipline Master asked one last time.

"Yes..." Su Shengyan nodded without hesitation.

The Discipline Master raised her hand. "Execute him!"

Meng Yuan's eyelids twitched as he watched the scene unfold.

Does she really have the audacity to kill an imperial court official?

The sword cultivator beside her was about to strike when suddenly, a voice rang out from the distance: "The chancellor has ordered: Spare him!"

It seemed someone had rushed over to stop them, and for a moment, a glimmer of hope flickered in Meng Yuan's eyes.

But then the Discipline Master roared, "Get lost!"

Her voice boomed like thunder, sending the person flying back several li!

The figure stood there dazed for a moment before turning and heading back north the way they came.

Swoosh—

With a flash of sword light, a sword pierced through Su Shengyan's chest, the Lord of Wu'an City, and he died instantly.

Thud.

As he collapsed on the ground, City Supervisor Ma Ben felt a chill run down his spine.

These people from the Mount Shu Sect are lunatics... They really dared to kill! They actually killed an official of the imperial court!

They are maniacs!

There was no time to think. It was his turn now. He was dragged to the front of the hall and forced to kneel as the Discipline Master demanded, "I ask you, have you ever plotted against a disciple of Mount Shu?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Ben immediately burst into tears.

"If you ask me anything else, fine, but if you ask me this, I really haven't..."

...

In the capital city of Yu, within the Chancellor's Residence.

In a quiet chamber, wisps of smoke curled through the air, casting flower-shaped shadows on the window lattice. A man dressed in casual attire sat silently in the hall, his breath calm, forming two streams that spiraled like dragons at his nose.

His brows and eyes were gentle, his skin fair, with features so delicate they seemed almost feminine, making it hard to believe he was nearing fifty. Despite his delicate appearance, an undeniable aura of authority surrounded him.

His name was Su Qian.

He was the current chancellor of the Yu Dynasty, second only to the emperor, and above all others.

It had been less than twenty years since Su Qian joined the imperial court as an official. Initially, he ranked among the top three in the imperial examination. From there, he rapidly rose to the position of chancellor, advancing steadily at every crucial point in his career. His superiors always made mistakes, his enemies never prevailed, and his allies consistently supported him. Those who knew of his journey could only marvel, perhaps this was what it meant to have great fortune on one's side.

But even with such good fortune, one must possess the strength to match that luck.

Obviously, Su Qian's abilities were exceptional.

In the bureaucracy of the Yu Dynasty, a few officials with formidable cultivation had spent decades or even centuries establishing their influence, ensuring that their positions remained unshakable by those who came after them. For instance, the Dragon-Keeping Eunuch in the Imperial City, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, the current Grand General of the nation, and the King of the Northern Prison...

Several chancellors had been overthrown by them.

Although Su Qian had only held the position of chancellor for a few years, he had already risen to become a formidable force in the imperial court, capable of contending with these seasoned and entrenched officials. His rise was clearly not due to the emperor's favor alone.

Now, the factions aligned with him had grown immensely powerful, collectively known as The Chancellor's Sixteen-Factions Alliance, renowned throughout the capital of Yu. Just moments ago, he dispatched Zhang Kuahai, the eldest disciple of the Mystic Path Sect, to rush to Wu'an City to save someone.

It turned out that the moment the massive sword lights from Mount Shu descended, Su Shengyan sensed something was amiss. With a swift glance, his trusted aide received the signal and promptly fled back to the City Lord's Residence to deliver a message to Yu's capital.

They had always used the communication channels set up by the imperial court, misusing them for private purposes. But it was precisely this misuse that allowed the message to quickly reach the Chancellor's Residence and land in Su Qian's hands.

There was no actual bond between Su Qian and his adopted son, who was older by several years. He had simply agreed to take him under his wing because the man was shrewd and capable of governing a city.

Although Su Qian was unwilling to clean up Su Shengyan's messes, he now had no choice.

Everyone in the world knew that Su Shengyan was his adopted son. If he didn't intervene and allowed this man to be trampled by the Mount Shu Sect, his subordinates would see him as powerless. Over time, he would lose their respect as Chancellor.

And so, he sent Zhang Kuahai, instructing him to use the Divine Movement technique to rush to Wu'an City.

The disciples of the Divine Movement Sect dedicated their lives to studying the Great Dao of Distancelessness, and their movement technique was as swift as the Golden Path performed by Daoist Huang Long. In no time, Zhang Kuahai arrived at Wu'an City, just in time to stop the Discipline Master from killing Su Shengyan.

But with just one shout from the Discipline Master, he was sent flying several li away.

Zhang Kuahai quickly assessed the situation. Upon realizing that the man was already killed, he decided it wasn't worth risking further trouble, which was why he then turned back.

By the time he arrived back in the capital of Yu, Su Qian hadn't even completed the execution of a full Qi-Circulation cycle.

"Chancellor," he said with a bow, "I announced your name, but it was the Discipline Master of Mount Shu Sect who was there... She sent me flying several li away and insisted on killing Su Shengyan. I could not stop her."

Su Qian's brow slowly furrowed.

"The people of the Mount Shu Sect refused to show me any respect," he said in a grim tone.

When he became the chancellor, he had sent generous gifts to all the great sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. Though there hadn't been many opportunities to interact since, he had never missed an occasion to send lavish gifts during festivals, ensuring they knew he respected them.

But now, Mount Shu showed him no respect at all, which naturally angered him.

"It's not just a lack of respect; it's as if they're stomping on your face," Zhang Kuahai said indignantly.

Su Qian suddenly stood up and shouted, "Prepare my horse! I'm going to the palace!"

...

The Chancellor's jujube-red horse made its way through the streets, accompanied by strong martial artists as guards. Wherever they passed, pedestrians quickly stepped aside. In the Yu capital, where officials and nobility were common, the chancellor's power and influence were unmatched, and no one dared to stand in the way.

Su Qian swiftly made his way to the imperial city, moving smoothly through it and passing through the palace city until he arrived at Night Dragon Hall.

Passing through numerous checkpoints so swiftly required more than mere rank and power; it required the emperor's unwavering trust. Few in the world received this level of treatment.

The blatant disregard for imperial law by the immortal sects had been a major concern for the emperor for a long time, and in this severe case, Su Qian didn't need to exaggerate to incite the emperor's fury towards Mount Shu.

As for how they should be punished was entirely up to the emperor.

When Su Qian stopped outside Night Dragon Hall, he saw Lao Santai standing outside with an awkward expression.

From within the hall, the noise of a commotion could be heard, accompanied by a woman's voice shouting curses in a rather vulgar manner.

How strange.

Su Qian thought.

Who would dare act so brazenly in the emperor's hall?

He couldn't help but move closer and ask quietly, "Warrior Lao, who is in there? They seem incredibly bold..."

"It's an imperial family gathering," Warrior Lao squinted, glancing away as he whispered, "Chancellor, please keep this to yourself. Those being scolded are all royal relatives, and the one doing the scolding is His Majesty's Second Aunt."

"I've never heard of His Majesty having a second aunt," Su Qian asked, puzzled.

"She's always existed, but due to certain reasons, she was raised elsewhere. This isn't something to discuss in detail," Lao Santai said cautiously.

The affairs of the imperial family were fraught with many taboos.

Su Qian was already accustomed to the reticence of these palace attendants, so he stood aside and waited patiently for a moment.

Finally, there was a loud bang!

The palace door was forcefully pushed open, and a tall figure clad in fiery red suddenly emerged, emanating an overwhelming aura that made Su Qian instinctively lower his head.

"Miss Feng," Lao Santai immediately bowed and escorted the woman a good distance away.

As for the imperial relatives who followed, one after another, they were the ones Su Qian recognized. With their heads dropping, they all looked as wilted as frostbitten eggplants.

He couldn't ask any questions. However, when those people left and Lao Santai came back, he then asked, "That Second Aunt of the emperor seems quite powerful? Her aura is truly overwhelming."

"You've probably heard her name before," Lao Santai whispered. "She's Di Nufeng of the Mount Shu Sect. She is an actual seventh-realm Eminent One! If not for...

Haaaa...

Well, just keep in mind that you should never provoke her."

Hearing this, Su Qian's brows started twitching.

When he turned back, he heard the palace attendant behind him call out, "Chancellor, you may enter to see His Majesty now."

"Oh..." Su Qian murmured, deep in thought, as he walked into the hall.

He found the place in disarray, with shattered objects scattered on the ground and numerous palace attendants busy with the cleanup.

It seemed that more than just scolding had occurred...

The old man in the yellow robe, seated behind a desk adorned with dragon carvings, looked visibly frustrated. It was unknown what he had experienced. When he saw Su Qian stepping forward, he asked, "What's the matter?"

Su Qian hesitated for a moment before kneeling with a thud. "Your Majesty, this lowly official has come to beg for your forgiveness!"

"Hmm?" The emperor looked slightly taken aback. "What crime have you committed?"

"It's about Su Shengyan, the City Lord of Wu'an, who once called me his adoptive father. I've learned today that he's been misusing my name to oppress the people of Wu'an City for years!" Su Qian lamented. "Fortunately, some cultivators from the Mount Shu Sect discovered his evil doings and informed me. I've authorized them to arrest him swiftly. If he resists, they have permission to execute him immediately!"

"I beg Your Majesty to punish me for failing to recognize his true nature!"