A suffocating pressure made it difficult for him to breathe.
"Bang!" Chu Chen grabbed the guard's shoulder and flung him away, sending him crashing into a towering ancient tree.
"Rumble!" The ancient tree collapsed, terrifying nearby pedestrians.
"You dare injure the City Lord's mansion guards!" a voice boomed.
A middle-aged man, his face stern, his eyes sharp like a tiger's, and his build robust, emerged from the City Lord's mansion, looking ferocious.
"Steward Li, help!" The guard struggled to his feet and scrambled to the middle-aged man's side, pointing at Chu Chen and begging for mercy.
"Presumptuous!" The middle-aged man roared, glaring at the guard. He then turned to Chu Chen and cupped his hands in greeting, as Chu Chen was a distinguished guest he had invited.
Moreover, Chu Chen's strength was evident, so he naturally wouldn't fly into a rage. "Young master, please calm your anger. They are all rough brutes who don't understand etiquette. I hope you can overlook their transgressions."
Chu Chen's expression was indifferent. "I only ask you, are you sure you want to protect Zhao Long?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man forced a bitter smile. "Young master, Zhao Long is the legitimate grandson of the Zhao family. Our City Lord's mansion cannot afford to offend them."
"Since you cannot afford to offend them, then teach him a lesson on my behalf, so he understands the order of precedence," Chu Chen said indifferently.
The middle-aged man was stunned. He had thought Chu Chen was here to cause trouble, but he never expected such an absurd request. He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Young master, your request..." the middle-aged man said with a wry smile. "To be frank, the Zhao family is a long-standing ally of the City Lord's mansion through marriage. If I were to teach Zhao Long a lesson, I fear I wouldn't be able to keep my own life."
"Then you mean you're not going to teach him a lesson?" Chu Chen's face instantly darkened.
"No, no, I didn't mean that," the middle-aged man quickly shook his head. "However, Zhao Long is the second young master of the City Lord's mansion. If I truly taught him a lesson, the City Lord's mansion would absolutely not let it go!"
Chu Chen's brow furrowed slightly; he clearly had reservations.
"I have come to the City Lord's mansion this time only to borrow something. If you are unwilling, I won't waste my breath with you."
Chu Chen spoke slowly. "My patience is limited. Three seconds have passed. If you do not agree, do not blame me for being impolite."
The moment his words fell, Chu Chen suddenly lunged at the middle-aged man, his speed as swift as lightning.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of him, his right hand reaching out and gripping the middle-aged man's throat.
"Cough, cough..." The middle-aged man's face turned red, gasping for breath, completely unable to resist.
Chu Chen had attacked without a word, without any warning, catching him completely off guard.
"Stop!" a sharp shout came from not far away. Immediately, a group of masked men in black robes and cloaks rushed forward.
There were dozens of them, each exuding a cold, bloodthirsty aura, clearly a killing squad!
"It's the City Lord's mansion's Black-Clad Enforcement Team!"
"The Black-Clad Enforcement Team is responsible for apprehending thieves. This is going to be interesting!"
"Heh heh, it seems this kid has broken the rules of the City Lord's mansion and is caught by the Black-Clad Enforcement Team. He's probably in for it!"
The surrounding onlookers whispered amongst themselves.
"What do you want!" the middle-aged man shouted in panic as the Black-Clad Enforcement Team approached.
"Friend, release him first," the leader of the Black-Clad Enforcement Team said sternly. "He is one of ours from the City Lord's mansion. I advise you not to act rashly!"
"So what if he's from your City Lord's mansion?" Chu Chen said indifferently. "I came to the City Lord's mansion today to borrow something. That's all. You not only blocked me but also attacked me. How should this debt be settled?"
"This..." The leader of the Black-Clad Enforcement Team frowned. The duty of the Black-Clad Enforcement Team was to maintain order. They could not allow anyone to cause trouble in the City Lord's mansion. However, the young man in front of them seemed to have done nothing wrong.
"What exactly do you want!" the leader of the Black-Clad Enforcement Team said sternly.
"It's very simple. I only need to borrow something. If your City Lord's mansion refuses to give it to me, then I'll have to take it by force!"
Chu Chen sneered coldly, then his gaze fell on the middle-aged man. "Hand over the item, and I'll leave immediately."
"You!" The middle-aged man gritted his teeth. He, the dignified steward of the City Lord's mansion, was being threatened by a junior!
"This matter is none of your concern. Step aside!" Chu Chen waved his hand indifferently.
"Young master, doing this might provoke the City Lord's wrath. It might not be wise?"
"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for everything," Chu Chen said calmly.
"Alright! Since young master insists, then this old man will trust you this once!" The middle-aged man took a deep breath, took out a metal token from his怀, and handed it to Chu Chen.
"Golden Iron Token?" Seeing the metal token in the middle-aged man's hand, the onlookers all showed surprise.
The Golden Iron Token represented the internal power structure of the City Lord's mansion. Possessing the Golden Iron Token was equivalent to having the authority to deploy the City Lord's mansion!
Although the middle-aged man was merely a servant, he was still given a Golden Iron Token, which showed the extremely generous treatment within the City Lord's mansion.
"Young master, can I leave now?" the middle-aged man said sternly, his tone revealing a hint of respect and flattery.
He knew that the young man in front of him was no ordinary person, and his background must be extraordinary, otherwise, he wouldn't have taken out the Golden Iron Token.
"Heh heh, you are indeed a smart person. But a clever mind can sometimes lead to its own downfall." Chu Chen sneered, and suddenly his wrist flicked.
Chu Chen's movement terrified the middle-aged man, and he collapsed onto the ground, kneeling with a "thump!"
He finally realized that he had offended someone he shouldn't have!
"Young master..." The middle-aged man looked up at Chu Chen, his eyes wide with terror.
"You just said that if I dared to step into the City Lord's mansion, you would carve me into a thousand pieces?" Chu Chen said indifferently.
"Young master, I was blind and didn't recognize your eminence. Please be magnanimous..."
The middle-aged man trembled uncontrollably, kowtowing profusely, filled with extreme regret. If he had known Chu Chen's background was so extraordinary, he wouldn't have dared to offend him even if he had ten thousand guts.
"No, you are mistaken. I am not magnanimous. I am petty-minded." Chu Chen grinned and suddenly threw a punch, smashing it hard into the middle-aged man's chest.
*Crack!* A crisp bone-cracking sound echoed. The middle-aged man let out a scream, spat out a mouthful of blood, and his chest caved in.
An unknown number of ribs were broken, and the pain caused him to faint, his life uncertain.
"Bastard!" The leader of the Black-Clad Enforcement Team roared in anger. He hadn't expected this brat to be so arrogant as to commit violence within the City Lord's mansion.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!..." A group of Black-Clad Enforcement Team members drew their swords and lunged at Chu Chen.
A cold arc appeared on Chu Chen's lips as his body turned into a blur, evading the assassinations of these Black-Clad Enforcement Team members.