Martial Cultivator

Dead silence.

In this room were gathered the most influential members of the Shen Family, the ones whose words carried the most weight. But at this moment, these Shen family members who held real power could not utter a single word.

Watching their family’s ancestor being pinned to the table with one hand by that young martial artist, it was not that they did not want to help, but rather that the room was now teeming with killing intent, murderous pressure filled every corner. They feared that if they so much as made a move, they would die even faster than their ancestor.

After all, judging by his demeanor, this young Lord Warden Commander was truly capable of anything.

Right at this moment, Yu Xiyi suddenly spoke up, ”What do you think is going on?”

In the distance, a sudden sound rang out.

Shen Xunchang, who had earlier been casually swatted away by Chen Chao, was now slowly peeling himself off the wall. He stood up with great difficulty and looked toward them, his gaze complicated.

But after a brief pause, he still opened his mouth and said, “I ask that Lord Warden Commander let the ancestor go.”

In that flash of lightning between life and death just moments ago, Shen Xunchang had only then come to a belated realization: if Chen Chao could so swiftly identify the Shen Family as the ringleaders, it meant that even though he was stationed far outside the Divine Capital, he clearly had his own spies in the Divine Capital. And his control over the Divine Capital’s intelligence network was far too strong.

But by the time he understood this, it was already too late.

Chen Chao had already arrived at the Shen Family.

He was already using thunderous means to suppress their Shen Family.

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and looked at Shen Xunchang. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I remember there’s someone in the Shen Family called Shen Xunchang. Average martial cultivation, but a decent man. Not the same breed as the rest of the Shen Family. That’s you, right?”

Previously, Hundred Streams Pavilion had submitted several reports on the Shen Family to Chen Chao. Among them was a special mention of Shen Xunchang, and the evaluation was high. They called him the last man of backbone left in the Shen Family.

Now, seeing it firsthand, the evaluation was not wrong.

Shen Xunchang said in a deep voice, “If Lord Warden Commander must kill someone, then kill this shen. The ancestor is old and frail, I beg Lord Warden Commander to show mercy.”

Chen Chao gave a calm smile, but before he could say anything, the Shen Family ancestor whose head was still pinned to the table suddenly cried out, ”This old man... wants to see whether he actually dares to kill me!”

Chen Chao could not be bothered to waste words with this old thing. He exerted some strength and directly crushed the tabletop, letting the old man’s white-haired head fall to the ground. Only then did he withdraw his hand, casually wiping it clean on the robe of a nearby Shen Family big shot.

After wiping off the bloodstains, Chen Chao said indifferently, ”Bring over a chair for this official.”

Only then did everyone notice that at this point, there was not a single intact chair left in the entire room.

Everyone exchanged glances.

Chen Chao said coldly, “Don’t make this official say it a second time.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, someone quickly left the room. Not long after, a new chair was brought in. But as luck would have it, that new chair was placed exactly at the seat of honor. Right now, the Shen Family’s ancestor was still sprawled on the ground before Chen Chao. But at this point, the Shen Family’s ancestor was barely clinging to life, exhaling more air than he was inhaling.

Chen Chao slowly sat down in silence.

The entire room felt unbearably oppressive. Everyone stared at the young Lord Warden Commander seated before them, not daring to make a sound. Even their breathing seemed painfully labored in that moment.

Some were already drenched in sweat.

Normally, it would be impossible for this young Lord Warden Commander to kill them all, but... goddamn it, was this young man in front of them someone normal?!

“This official had already heard plenty of rumors about the Divine Capital even before entering it. What surprises this official is how, after leaving the Divine Capital for just a few days, my reputation has already become so foul. Can any of you explain to this official?”

No one spoke, all very silent.

Chen Chao did not mind. He continued speaking to himself, “Who is Shen Kuohai?”

As he said this, all eyes turned to a middle-aged man in the crowd.

Chen Chao raised his head to look at him as well. Looking at the utterly unremarkable middle-aged man, he smiled and said, “In the third year of Tianjian, you raped and murdered a commoner woman, then dumped her into the dried-up well in the eastern part of the city, leaving her body to rot and stink. Tell me, do you still consider yourself human?”

At these words, Shen Kuohai’s eyes widened and his expression was ugly. He had believed that back then he had hidden everything flawlessly, that no outsider could possibly know. He never imagined it would be exposed so plainly more than ten years later.

Chen Chao stood up and slowly approached Shen Kuohai. Calmly, he said, “There’s a saying, if you don’t want others to know, then don’t do it. Did you really think the Divine Capital has no eyes to see what you’ve done?”

Shen Kuohai shook his head. “Your Excellency... it’s not like that... Your Excellency…”

He had already witnessed Chen Chao’s methods. At this moment, he did not doubt in the slightest that this young Lord Warden Commander before him would kill him on the spot.

“This matter should have been handled by the Ministry of Penalty. It shouldn’t fall to this official to interfere. But since this official is already here, this official shall overstep my bounds just this once.”

Chen Chao stepped in front of Shen Kuohai, grabbed him by the hair knot, and at the same time, the saber at his waist was unsheathed. In the blink of an eye, a spray of fresh blood burst forth. A human head appeared in Chen Chao’s hand just like that. Only then, did the body slowly collapse to the ground.

Chen Chao casually tossed the severed head aside, letting it roll across the floor.

Only then did he slowly sit back down into his chair.

In the room, all was already as silent as death.

With how Chen Chao dealt with the Shen Family’s ancestor earlier, the crowd still had not been sure whether he would truly go on a killing spree. But at this moment, everyone believed it, this young Lord Warden Commander really would kill people.

Chen Chao’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of the chair. Hearing that sound, many already felt their hearts growing unbearably agitated, yet they dared not reveal anything. The more that was so, the more it felt like sitting on needles, like thorns stabbing into their backs.

“Shen Yong.”

“In the fourth year of Tianjian, over an antique from the previous dynasty, you killed a wealthy merchant from the Yang Family.”

Chen Chao finally spoke slowly, his voice indifferent. “This official knows, in your hearts, how could the life of a commoner be more important than an antique? But you must also understand, your lives aren’t important in this official’s eyes either.”

Why had Chen Chao caused such a disturbance earlier upon entering the Shen residence, smashing so many antiques and porcelain pieces?

Was it done at random?

With a thud, Shen Yong dropped to his knees and kowtowed frenziedly. “Lord Warden Commander, this Shen knows my mistake, this Shen knows my mistake!”

Chen Chao looked at him and smiled. “Knowing your wrongs is one thing. Paying the price is another.”

His voice faded.

Another spray of blood.

Another severed head.

This time, not a single person even saw how Chen Chao had drawn his saber, they could only see that the saber in his hand was now dripping with blood.

That bright red blood flowed down the blade, eventually falling onto the expensive carpet.

Now, no one cared about that.

No one dared to care about that.

Chen Chao took a deep breath.

Shen Xunchang’s expression was extremely complicated. As the Shen Family’s main pillar of support, he was not a fool. Naturally, he could tell that the crimes Chen Chao spoke of were not slander or false accusations, but things that had truly happened.

Since that was the case, then no one could say anything, they could only be beaten, be killed.

But at this moment, Shen Xunchang belatedly realized once again: the young Lord Warden Commander before him was unfathomable.

Not only in martial cultivation, but in scheming and cunningness.

But for someone this young, how could he possess such deep cunning?

Shen Xunchang could not understand it.

Chen Chao then read out a few more names.

Without exception, all met the same end, hacked to death with a single strike.

And so, the room that had originally been packed full was now, at this point, rather empty.

Several severed heads slowly bled out across the floor.

A rare and precious carpet was now covered in bloodstains.

Chen Chao suddenly said, “This official doesn’t wish to keep on killing like this.”

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