"Ah—!" In an instant, the originally noisy and bustling street fell into deathly silence. Everyone was stunned, staring at Chu Chen with wide eyes.
"How... how could this be..."
"Who is this person, what kind of monster is he, to actually crush a centurion of the Imperial Guard to death?"
"Too terrifying, doesn't this guy know Li Yang's identity? Is he trying to bring disaster upon himself?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes towards Chu Chen filled with dread. Many women even screamed in fear.
"Bastard, killing an Imperial Guard in broad daylight, do you know your crime!"
At this moment, a furious roar came from the direction of the imperial palace, followed by a powerful aura that swept over, vast and mighty, engulfing Chu Chen.
Chu Chen turned to look and saw a squadron of guards in armor, riding swift Flame Steeds, galloping towards them. In the blink of an eye, they arrived.
The general leading them was an old man, burly and robust, his aura as deep and solid as a mountain. His cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Body Tempering realm.
This man was named Yang Hu, the personal guard captain of the Marquis of Zhenbei!
"Li Yang was a centurion under the Marquis of Zhenbei's Third Legion. Although he was just a brute, his strength was exceptionally formidable."
"Being a centurion like Li Yang proves this fellow's strength is not weak. This guy is dead for sure!"
The onlookers, both commoners and travelers, cast looks of schadenfreude at Chu Chen, as if they had already foreseen his tragic end.
"Brother, why are you so reckless? Quickly apologize to Commander Yang," Luo Cheng said in a low voice, pulling Chu Chen.
"Yes, Commander Yang is an elite of the Imperial Guard. If you offend him, aren't you asking for trouble?"
Another young man chimed in. He was Zhao Hailong, a member of the Luo family.
Chu Chen's expression was calm as he said, "I haven't broken any laws, so why should I apologize?"
Yang Hu's gaze was cold as he stared fixedly at Chu Chen. "I don't care who you are. You killed someone from our Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion, so you won't live!"
"Oh? Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion? You know the Marquis of Zhenxi?" Chu Chen's eyes flickered with a hint of sharpness.
"Hmph! You think the people of the Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion are easy to provoke? You are truly an idiot. Hurry up and apologize to Commander Yang!"
Luo Cheng reprimanded him, also worried that Chu Chen would anger Yang Hu, and he would be the one to suffer.
"Young friend, I beg you, please don't speak rashly. The Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion is not someone you can afford to offend," an old man in tattered clothes advised from the side.
Chu Chen glanced at the old man, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that. I never bow to anyone's threats, let alone surrender to enemies."
"You..." The old man looked at him with disappointment, unable to help but sigh, "Alas, why are you so stubborn, child!"
Chu Chen ignored him and walked straight towards the city gate.
"Stop!" Yang Hu strode forward, blocking Chu Chen's path, his gaze sharp as he spoke sternly.
"Are you really not afraid of death? I admit you have some skill, but if you keep walking forward, I guarantee your corpse will turn into a pile of mud!"
"I am a reasonable person. I'll give you two choices: either hand over the weapon you used to kill Li Yang, or die!"
"Are you sure you want to reason with me?" Chu Chen raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing on his lips, and said slowly.
"Nonsense! Do you think you can fool your way out with a few nonsensical lies? You're simply courting death!"
Yang Hu roared angrily, his eyes filled with cold light. How could he tolerate a penniless nobody with no power or influence acting so presumptuously!
"Fine, since you insist on reasoning, then do as I say. I ask you, did you send some subordinates to assassinate me, and then frame me?" Chu Chen asked with a cold laugh, his tone very calm.
Yang Hu was stunned for a moment, then snorted coldly and said, "That's right, I sent them to hunt you down, but so what? You killed someone from our Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion and injured my men, so you must pay the price. This matter will not be let go, just you wait!"
"As expected. So, those good-for-nothings were sent by you to kill me." Chu Chen nodded, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.
"Since that's the case, I can't let you live." Killing intent flared in Chu Chen's eyes, and he extended his right hand.
He unleashed a palm strike from a distance, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted, carrying a destructive force as it hurtled towards Yang Hu.
"Courting death!" Yang Hu roared, throwing a punch to meet it. The moment fist and palm collided.
Yang Hu felt a colossal force surge towards him, causing his expression to change drastically.
"Bang!" A muffled sound echoed, and Yang Hu staggered back several steps, a sharp pain in his chest, almost spitting blood.
The surrounding onlookers gasped in shock. They had never expected this young man in black robes to be so powerful.
He had repelled Yang Hu with a single move, which was far more impressive than killing Li Yang just now.
"You are a martial artist!" Yang Hu gritted his teeth, looking at Chu Chen with both shock and anger.
"Now, I'll give you one chance. Kneel and apologize, or you won't get a second chance!"
Chu Chen spoke indifferently, his cold gaze sweeping across the surroundings. A biting wind blew around him.
"You... courting death!" Yang Hu was enraged. He suddenly lunged forward, swinging his fist, as large as a sandbag, towards Chu Chen's head.
"Scram!" Chu Chen let out a cold shout, extending one hand to grab Yang Hu's fist, and with a forceful flick, slammed him heavily onto the ground, creating a deep pit.
"Hiss..." The surrounding commoners were stunned. They had thought Chu Chen was bound to suffer, but none of them had expected him to subdue Yang Hu in one move!
"Pfft..." Yang Hu coughed up blood again, his face extremely pale. He struggled to get up, staring fixedly at Chu Chen. "Who exactly are you!"
"I am Chu Chen," Chu Chen said faintly.
"You killed Li Yang, I will kill you!" Yang Hu roared ferociously.
Chu Chen chuckled coldly. "I said, I hate being framed the most. Just because you say I did it, means I did it?"
"You dare to deny it!" Yang Hu roared, then took out a waist token and threw it on the ground. "Open your dog eyes and look carefully, this is Li Yang's token!"
"This is..." The surrounding commoners crowded around. When they saw the words 'Zhenxi' on the token, their faces immediately showed reverence.
"This is the Marquis of Zhenxi's waist token!"
"Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion?"
"This..." The commoners erupted. The Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion was a trusted power of the Southern Tang royal family, with immense authority.
Even a first-rank prefect would respectfully call out "Marquis" upon seeing them.
"Someone from the Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion, this is bad. That guy is dead for sure. He probably doesn't know that the Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion is backed by the royal family, and they wouldn't dare to provoke them!"
"I've long heard that the eldest son of the Marquis of Zhenxi is a young talent in the capital of Southern Tang. Seeing him today, he truly lives up to his reputation."