Free Web NovelChapter 171: Chapter 171: Where Is Your Face?
The troops took action, completely surrounding the Su Mansion.
Just as the encirclement was complete, Elder Lady Su suddenly emerged from the mansion, followed by several Su Family Elders.
The Elders’ appearance proved that the Su Family’s Saint Bone Ceremony was over...
Elder Lady Su glared, her aged eyes fixed on Lu Chao before her gaze shifted to Cheng Chuming.
Suddenly, she turned to Yin Qixing and roared, "What does Marquis Jilong, Yin Ye, mean by this? How dare you lead troops into Saint Su City? Is this a declaration of war against my Saint Bone Su Family?"
Elder Lady Su decided to make a preemptive strike.
She would use the moral high ground and the laws of the Dragon Flame Kingdom to suppress Marquis Jilong’s second-in-command, thereby isolating Lu Chao and leaving him without support.
She knew the situation was troublesome. Their Saint Bone was Lu Chao’s father-in-law, and he didn’t want to return to the Su Family.
But admitting weakness and apologizing was impossible.
Zheng Liling was right...
Cheng Chuming listened to Lu Chao too much. She couldn’t let the great Saint Bone Su Family take the surname Lu.
Of course, the main reason was that Elder Lady Su simply couldn’t stomach it; she wouldn’t let some nameless brat walk all over her.
Faced with Elder Lady Su’s tirade, Yin Qixing simply turned his head...
He looked calmly at Lu Chao, then turned back with a faint smile. "Elder Lady Su, please don’t get excited. For this operation, Lu Chao is the one in charge."
Those few words made Elder Lady Su’s mind reel.
She couldn’t help but roar...
"Is Marquis Chaolong insane? How could he let a snot-nosed brat like this call the shots?"
"This insignificant nobody doesn’t even know the first thing about respecting his elders! Isn’t Marquis Jilong afraid this kid will get him killed?"
The whole reason Elder Lady Su wanted to suppress Yin Qixing was that she refused to negotiate directly with Lu Chao.
Her plan was to crush Yin Qixing and make Marquis Jilong understand that protecting Lu Chao meant making a mortal enemy of the Saint Bone Su Family.
But now, they were actually saying Lu Chao was in charge...
In her fury, Elder Lady Su began to frantically disparage Lu Chao in every way possible.
Yin Qixing frowned. He was curious about what had happened inside the Su Family residence to make Elder Lady Su so utterly apoplectic, but he quickly shrugged and said, "The Marquis has given his orders. Lu Chao is the commander-in-chief for the Saint Su City operation."
As he spoke, he stepped back behind Lu Chao. ’Not my problem,’ he thought. ’Lu Chao can handle it.’
GNASH...
Elder Lady Su was grinding her teeth in fury. She could only slowly raise her head to look at Lu Chao, her first words dripping with venom: "Brat, do you have any idea what status the Saint Bone Su Family holds in the Dragon Flame Kingdom? Bringing troops to surround my Su Mansion is a crime punishable by beheading!"
At this point, all she could do was threaten Lu Chao and exaggerate the severity of his actions.
But Lu Chao just gave an indifferent smile...
Suddenly... SHING!
He whipped his longspear out in a single motion, its tip pointing directly at Elder Lady Su.
At the same time... SHIIING!
As if moved by the aura of his Dragon General Bone, all of Marquis Jilong’s troops instinctively drew their weapons. In unison, they aimed them at Elder Lady Su, and a terrifying, murderous aura crashed against the gates of the Su Mansion.
In an instant, the expressions of everyone who had come out from the Su Family changed dramatically.
Lu Chao spoke. "Elder Lady Su, where is the traitor Zheng Liyuan?"
Elder Lady Su trembled all over and roared, "You, surnamed Lu! How dare you point a spear at me?"
She was still acting high and mighty, as if Lu Chao was beneath her notice.
THUD...
Lu Chao urged his horse forward a single step, and then... RUMBLE!
All of Marquis Jilong’s troops had unconsciously followed suit, their murderous aura intensifying.
"Where is the traitor Zheng Liyuan? Marquis Jilong suspects he is colluding with the Nanye Dynasty. We must apprehend him now."
"He was just inside the Su Mansion. Where is he now?"
Lu Chao’s meaning was obvious...
You asked why Marquis Jilong’s troops dared to enter Saint Su City? The excuse is the same, of course: to capture the traitor Zheng Liyuan. You, Elder Lady Su, wanted to make an aggressive preemptive strike? Fine, then I’ll make an aggressive move to bring a traitor to justice.
You, Elder Lady Su, didn’t want to speak to me civilly?
Then let’s see who can be more domineering.
When had Elder Lady Su ever been interrogated with a spear pointed at her? She trembled even more violently with rage.
But before she could speak, an Elder stepped forward and answered, "Zheng Liling has already left the Su Mansion, taking Zheng Liyuan with him."
The Su Family Elder was also intimidated by Lu Chao’s aura.
They knew full well that they couldn’t let this escalate, or the situation would spiral out of control.
"Oh?"
Lu Chao drew out the sound, then said heavily, "Your great Saint Bone Su Family let a traitor escape? I suspect you might be colluding with the traitor Zheng Liyuan. I suspect you might also be colluding with the Nanye Dynasty."
’Didn’t you all keep saying before that Xiao Su’er’s Saint Bone Awakening had harmed you?’
’Now, I’ll return the favor with an accusation of my own.’ frёewebηovel.cѳm
At these words, Elder Lady Su completely exploded. "You brat surnamed Lu! You motherfucker, do you believe this old lady won’t kill you?"
Seeing this, two Su Family Elders quickly held her back...
The same Elder from before replied, "Fellow Lu must be joking. Everyone knows we and the Saint Bone Zheng Family are mortal enemies."
Seeing this Su Family Elder put on a smile, Lu Chao suddenly, slowly, lowered his spear.
The troops behind him also slowly lowered their weapons...
The terrifying atmosphere vanished in an instant, and several of the Su Family Elders unconsciously let out a long breath of relief.
But then Lu Chao smiled faintly and said, "How interesting. Zheng Liyuan infiltrated the Su Mansion, and Zheng Liling forced his way in with his men. And you, their supposed mortal enemies, just let them run away? What the hell is your person-in-charge good for?"
Hearing this, the restrained Elder Lady Su... BOOM!
Her True Qi erupted violently, but the two Su Family Elders held on to her for dear life, leaving her able to do nothing but curse loudly.
Lu Chao ignored her and continued, "Where is your honor? Have you lost it all?"
Listening to this, the Elders’ expressions became impossibly ugly...
But the Elder who had spoken before could only lower his voice and reply, "We had no choice. We were in the middle of the Saint Bone Ceremony and couldn’t spare the manpower."
The Su Family’s Elders were truly helpless. If the Saint Bone Ceremony hadn’t left them so weakened, they certainly wouldn’t have let Zheng Liling and his men escape... More importantly, Elder Lady Su hadn’t tried to stop them either.
"If that’s the case, then forget it..."
"We still have to hunt down the traitor, so we won’t disturb you any longer."
Having said this, Lu Chao suddenly waved a hand to his troops and prepared to leave.
But the Su Family Elders’ expressions changed drastically. "Wait! Our Saint Bone Heir must remain with the Su Family."
The reason they had all come out wasn’t to question why Marquis Jilong’s troops had entered the city, but to make Cheng Chuming stay.
The Elders had spoken deferentially to Lu Chao precisely because they wanted Cheng Chuming.
Slowly, he turned back around...
Lu Chao asked coolly, "Your Saint Bone... is he that important? Then why was someone so intent on killing his daughter? And selling out his son-in-law?"
’Granny Yun wanted them dead because Cheng Yunsu’s Saint Bone was interrupted, and because she herself had knelt and apologized for nothing...’
’At the time, Elder Lady Su had no intention of stopping her. That was something Lu Chao would never forget.’
The corners of the Su Family Elders’ mouths twitched...
’Who could have possibly thought back then,’ they grumbled internally, ’that your useless, middle-aged father-in-law would actually awaken a Saint Bone?’
