Chapter 762: I Am Not Mad

Inside the Royal Wave Bureau, Chu Liang sat behind a desk, patiently explaining to several black-clad cultivators, "I've already explained the situation very clearly. I acted out of righteousness. You must investigate carefully. You can’t let a good person feel disheartened.."

As a prodigy of the Mount Shu Sect, a seventh-realm Eminent One, and the Imperial Younger Brother of the Yu Dynasty, the Royal Wave Bureau naturally treated him with the utmost respect and caution. They had merely invited him back from outside the city for questioning.

Chu Liang cooperated without resistance, recounting the events once again. Seeing the hesitation in their expressions, he spread his hands and said, "Just think about it. Would I really abduct the Dragon Dancer in broad daylight? If she’s awake now, you can confirm the details with the Flower Pavilion."

"We have already sent someone to inquire," the lead cultivator replied quietly. "The Dragon Dancer has regained consciousness, and Commander Han has gone to see her. We believe that a prodigy from an immortal sect would never do such a thing, but..."

The cultivator didn't dare to finish his sentence.

He wanted to say:

After all, your teacher is Di Nufeng. If it were you, it wouldn’t be that surprising.

The officers of the Royal Wave Bureau exchanged uneasy glances, a trace of fear flickering in their eyes.

They might have only heard about what Di Nufeng and others of her generation accomplished at the Assembly of Immortal Sects, but when it came to Chu Liang’s generation? They had seen it with their own eyes.

Back then, Chu Liang had single-handedly launched a night raid on Misty Waters City, crushing the Fuyao Kingdom’s dream in a way that defied all logic. From that day forward, his name became a lingering shadow in the hearts of the Fuyao Kingdom.

Bam!

The door suddenly swung open, and Han Lingshuang strode in, her expression as cold as ever.

"The Dragon Dancer has woken up. She confirmed that you weren’t the first to abduct her," she stated.

Chu Liang let out a bitter laugh. "So what does that mean? That I was the second?"

Han Lingshuang crossed her arms. "To be fair, given how you acted in the cavern, it's hard not to misunderstand…"

She raised a hand, signaling that Chu Liang was free to go.

She continued, "Regardless, we believe you."

Chu Liang rose from his seat and stepped into the corridor of the Royal Wave Bureau. The black stone walls were lined with intricate carvings of cranes, turtles, hounds, and horses and looked rather eerie.

Just as he was about to leave, the rhythmic tap of footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.

A towering figure slowly approached.

The man was clad in heavy black iron armor, each step causing his armor to clatter softly. His presence was as imposing as a mountain. A pure black mask concealed his face, leaving only a pair of piercing, intimidating eyes visible.

Behind him followed the slender Dragon Dancer. She wrapped her arms around herself, appearing frail and helpless beside the towering armored figure.

Upon seeing the man, Han Lingshuang gave a slight nod and bowed. "General."

"Commander Han." The armored figure’s voice was deep and resonant, like rolling thunder. His gaze shifted to Chu Liang. "This must be Young Hero Chu of Mount Shu? I had the honor of witnessing your prowess six years ago."

With the way Han Lingshuang addressed him, his identity wasn’t hard to guess. Chu Liang returned the bow and greeted him respectfully. "General of the Royal Wave Bureau, greetings to you."

The General of the Royal Wave Bureau held the highest authority within the bureau. At times, his power was great enough to stand on equal footing with the ruler of the Fuyao Kingdom.

"Young Hero Chu, this must be your first visit to the Fuyao Kingdom," the black-armored general said in a muffled tone. "Take your time sightseeing. The scenery here is quite pleasant."

With that, he strode away, his iron boots clanking against the stone floor.

As the Dragon Dancer passed by Chu Liang, she leaned in slightly and whispered, "Thank you."

Then, without another word, she followed the general, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

As Han Lingshuang led Chu Liang out of the bureau, he glanced back and asked curiously, "The Dragon Dancer's not leaving?"

"The Dragon Dancer's real name is Jing Yue. She is the adopted daughter of General Jing Wuya of the Royal Wave Bureau and lives within the bureau," Han Lingshuang said as she walked ahead. "The culprit behind her abduction has yet to be caught, so you should be careful—"

"Be careful of retaliation?" Chu Liang asked with a smile.

Han Lingshuang paused for a moment, glanced at Chu Liang, and then turned away. "I suppose you're not the type to worry about that."

"Oh, by the way, I haven't seen your disciples around. They must be among the elites of the Royal Wave Bureau by now, right? I remember… Hu Sanlang. He was really skilled with his saber."

Han Lingshuang suddenly stopped. Silence hung between them before she slammed open the door ahead and said coldly, "Be careful out there."

The door creaked as it swung open, allowing moonlight to spill into the corridor. Without another word, she turned and walked away.

…

When Chu Liang returned to the courtyard, both Xue Lingxue and Tie Chui looked at him in shock and asked, "We heard you got caught for kidnapping a dancer?"

"…" Chu Liang was momentarily speechless. "Who told you that?"

Both of them pointed at Lin Bei at the same time.

"Heheheh!" Lin Bei let out a hearty laugh. "Of course, I knew you wouldn’t do something like that. But I just came back from the Royal Wave Bureau after asking around, and that’s what they were saying, so I just passed it along."

Chu Liang shook his head. "It was just a misunderstanding. But there's something strange about the Royal Wave Bureau in the Fuyao Kingdom. I just saw their general…"

"Jing Wuya?" Lin Bei immediately said the name.

"Yeah," Chu Liang said with a nod. "Do you know anything about him?"

That brief encounter left Chu Liang with an odd feeling about the general. There was something about Jing Wuya’s gaze—something unsettlingly familiar.

Lin Bei explained, "He's probably the most powerful general in the history of the Royal Wave Bureau, with real authority."

After hearing Lin Bei’s explanation, Chu Liang gained a clearer understanding of the current state of affairs in the Fuyao Kingdom.

For many years, the Royal Wave Bureau had always been controlled by either a member of the royal family or a trusted subordinate of the king. In a small kingdom like the Fuyao Kingdom, consolidating power was far easier than in a vast empire like the Yu Dynasty.

As long as the ruler ensured that his most trusted officials occupied key positions, he could maintain absolute control over the entire kingdom. As a result, things had always been very peaceful.

However, several decades ago, Jing Wuya became the first non-royal to rise to the position of General of the Royal Wave Bureau. By being able to get this position, it would have meant that he was absolutely loyal. However, after seizing power, he led the bureau in a different direction. The Royal Wave Bureau, once firmly under the king's control, grew more assertive, gradually asserting its own authority and breaking free from the king's control.

Now, the struggle between the king and the general had escalated, both in the open and behind the scenes. One by one, members of the royal family within the Royal Wave Bureau were being eliminated, and those with keen perception could already sense a storm brewing over the kingdom.

However, the Fuyao Kingdom was backed by the Penglai Supreme Sect, which meant that the Penglai Supreme Sect would never allow chaos to break out in the kingdom. Therefore, if Jing Wuya really wanted to cause trouble, it was unknown as to what methods he could use.

"Three years ago, one of the king’s guards attempted to assassinate him and came close to succeeding. Since then, the king of the Fuyao Kingdom has rarely dared to step outside the palace," Lin Bei said.

Lowering his voice slightly, he added, "Rumor has it that Jing Wuya was the one orchestrating the attack."

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Oh, and the assassin? He’s someone you know. Do you remember Hu Sanlang from the Assembly of Immortal Sects?"

Chu Liang was quite surprised. "Hu Sanlang?"

The youth that unleashed the Wave-Cleaving Saber Strike… held great respect for Han Lingshuang. With Han Lingshuang being a member of the royal family, shouldn't he be part of the king's faction?

Chu Liang didn't have all the details nor could he be bothered to spend his time thinking about this. To a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, the Fuyao Kingdom’s internal strife was nothing more than a dog-eat-dog struggle. No matter who ended up ruling, they would still bow to the Penglai Supreme Sect. In the grand scheme of things, the outcome was unlikely to benefit the Mount Shu Sect or the Yu Dynasty in any way.

He glanced at Lin Bei and said, "You’re quite well-informed."

Lin Bei grinned, waving the token in his hand. "It’s all thanks to your Circle of Immortal Friends. This kind of news isn’t exactly a secret and I just did a little digging. Nowadays, we exchange information in the Circle of Immortal Friends all the time. It’s really convenient."

Chu Liang had launched the Circle of Immortal Friends, but he rarely had the time to check in on what was going on inside it.

"Heh…" He was about to chuckle when a sudden thought crossed his mind. His expression shifted, and he looked up sharply. "You didn’t already spread the news about me being arrested for abducting a dancer, did you?"

"Uh…" Lin Bei’s smile stiffened. He hesitated before mumbling, "I might have… mentioned it once or twice."

Chu Liang hurriedly tapped into the Circle of Immortal Friends Token and saw a flood of messages on his screen.

[Passerby A]: "I believe Young Hero Chu would never do something like that!"

[Passerby B]: "Hard to say. You never truly know a person. Some people may look refined on the surface but be complete perverts behind closed doors."

[Passerby C]: "But he and Jiangjiang are a couple! I can’t accept this!"

[Passerby D]: "Huh? If that’s the case… does that mean I still have a chance with Jiangjiang?"

“…” Chu Liang felt so speechless.

He didn't rush to explain himself in the Circle of Immortal Friends. Instead, he dragged Lin Bei out and said through gritted teeth, "You were the one who spread the rumor, so you’re going to clear my name. Right now."

He then took out the United Hearts Jade, hesitated for a moment, and sent a message.

[Chu] : "There were some rumors circulating in the Circle of Immortal Friends just now. Did you see them?"

[Jiang]: "I saw."

[Chu]: "They’re all lies. I just happened to witness the abduction and stepped in to save her."

[Jiang]: "So it’s true that you went to watch a dancer perform?"

[Chu]: "I was only there because Lin Bei dragged me along to meet a business partner. It was just a bit of socializing. I happened to be in the Fuyao Kingdom because I’m helping Miss Xue with something."

[Jiang]: "Helping Miss Xue with something?"

[Jiang]: "..."

[Chu]: "Please don’t be mad. Let me explain everything properly."

[Jiang]: "I am not mad."

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT