Free Web NovelChapter 376: Chapter 376: Celestial Dragon Guard
Though arrogant and dissolute, Qin Yu was no fool.
As much as he wanted Ye Xuan dead, he decided then and there not to act rashly until he had figured out the man’s background.
"Right."
At Qin Yu’s reminder, Huang Zhong instantly came to his senses.
"Luo Min, your family is finished, you hear me? You dare assault an imperial public official? Not even the gods can save you now! And you, kid! Just you wait. You’ll be rotting in the imperial dungeon, and I’ll personally come to visit you."
While pointing at Ye Xuan and the members of the Luo family and cursing through gritted teeth, he also bellowed, "Someone! Quick! Go get the Celestial Dragon Guard from the marketplace! Go!"
"It’s over. It’s all over." Seeing this, the faces of the Luo family members turned completely ashen.
They had never imagined that Ye Xuan would actually dare to lay a hand on the City Construction Department’s Law Enforcement Team. They might have had a shred of justification before, but with this, they had lost any claim to being in the right.
"Young Master Ye, that was too reckless of you," Luo Min’s anxious voice sounded in Ye Xuan’s ear. "When the Celestial Dragon Guard gets here, you absolutely must not be impulsive. I know your intentions are good, but the Celestial Dragon Guard answers directly to the imperial family. They are the most powerful force in our Sky Empire. No noble family dares to oppose them. Even disciples from the great houses have to be respectful when they see them. If you offend the Celestial Dragon Guard, the Luo family will truly be finished."
"Yes, young brother, I’m begging you. Please, stay out of the Luo family’s business."
"If you keep this up, our Luo family will definitely not be able to survive in the Imperial Capital."
A few Luo family elders, their faces as grim as a funeral, spoke with looks of utter despair.
Though Ye Xuan had come to help the Luo family, at this rate, his "help" would likely get them all killed even faster.
Hearing the mental messages from the Luo family members, Ye Xuan suddenly turned his head. "Patriarch Luo, everyone, if you trust me, then leave what happens next to me. I guarantee that your Luo family will be safe and sound."
"If you don’t trust me, then I won’t get involved in this mess."
"But you’ve seen it for yourselves. The Luo family wants to smooth things over, but the Qin family and the City Construction Department might not. This marketplace shop is just the first step. Next, your Luo family’s other businesses will face the same situation. By the time you decide to stand firm, it will likely be too late."
Ye Xuan’s eyes gleamed, and his words fell upon the ears of Luo Min and the others, leaving them completely stunned.
"But the Qin family is a great house, far beyond what our Luo family can contend with. And on top of that, we’ve offended the City Construction Department..." Luo Min’s face showed his inner struggle.
He knew backing down wasn’t a long-term solution, but he just couldn’t bring himself to pit the Luo family against both the Qin family and the City Construction Department.
"What’s the Qin family? Just one great house. Do they dare violate imperial law and openly seize your family’s assets? I refuse to believe there’s no justice in the Sky Empire!" Ye Xuan sneered. "Trust me. The Luo family will be perfectly fine."
Ye Xuan’s words seemed to possess a kind of Magic Power, slowly calming the turmoil in the hearts of the Luo family members.
"Alright." Luo Min suddenly gritted his teeth. "Young Master Ye, I believe you. I’ll leave the Luo family’s matter in your hands."
"Patriarch!"
The Luo family elders cried out in alarm.
"No more talk." Luo Min’s eyes hardened. "The Qin family has conspired with the City Construction Department to the point where they’re openly trying to demolish our shop. If our family keeps retreating, what won’t they dare to do next? I believe in this young brother."
Luo Min, able to serve as the Luo family’s Patriarch and fight the Qu family for so many years, was a decisive leader. Realizing he had no other options, he burned his boats and placed his trust in Ye Xuan.
Because at this moment, believing in Ye Xuan was the only path they could take.
"I hear someone’s causing trouble here? What exactly is going on?"
Before long, a squad of imposing, armored Martial Artists pushed their way through the crowd.
The leader was a middle-aged man in his thirties with a longsword at his waist. He exuded a terrifying, oppressive aura; clearly, he was a Tier Six Martial Venerable expert.
And the dozen or so members of his squad were all imposing as well. The weakest among them was a Tier Five Peak Martial Sect, making them leagues beyond the City Construction Department’s Law Enforcement Team.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan’s gaze narrowed slightly as he sighed to himself.
’This Sky Empire is truly worthy of being one of the ten great powers of the Dream Realm Plain. It’s so much stronger than the Thirteen Nations Alliance.’
’A Tier Five Peak Martial Sect would be the absolute number one expert in the Liuyun Kingdom, but here, they’re just a single member of the Imperial Capital’s Celestial Dragon Guard.’
"Captain Shao, you’re finally here! We from the City Construction Department were conducting official business according to the law, replanning the east street of the marketplace. This person and the Luo family members repeatedly obstructed our enforcement and even injured our Law Enforcement Team members. I implore Captain Shao to take them to the imperial dungeon and punish them severely."
Seeing the man, Huang Zhong acted as if he’d just seen his own parents, rushing to cry out his grievances.
"So it’s Captain Huang, and Young Master Qin." Shao Jun saw Huang Zhong and Qin Yu and gave a slight nod.
The Celestial Dragon Guard answered directly to the Sky Empire’s imperial family. Their status and position were second to none, so they wouldn’t stoop to fawning over the Qin family like the regular City Guard might.
"Is what Captain Huang of the City Construction Department said the truth?"
Shao Jun squinted at the members of the Luo family and asked coolly.
On one side was the great house, the Qin family, and the City Construction Department; on the other was the noble house, the Luo family. In his heart, Shao Jun already had an opinion on the case, but he didn’t voice it, instead choosing to inquire carefully.
"Captain Shao." Luo Min clasped his hands and began, "This shop is my Luo family’s property. Qin Yu and Captain Huang colluded to forcibly demolish my family’s private property, which led to a misunderstanding..."
"Your Luo family’s private property?" Before Luo Min could finish, Huang Zhong let out a scornful sneer. "All the land in this marketplace belongs to the empire. Since when did it become your Luo family’s private property?"
Luo Min said with a grim face, "My Luo family possesses the deed to this shop. Does that not prove it’s our private property? By your logic, does that mean your City Construction Department can just tear down and confiscate any building in the empire as you please? If so, who will protect the legal rights to our private property?!"
"Hmph, Patriarch Luo, stop twisting words. Did I say I was confiscating your Luo family’s shop? Our City Construction Department is merely replanning the east street of the marketplace," Huang Zhong retorted.
"Replanning? That’s a nice way to put it. The Luo family hasn’t just been in the Imperial Capital for a day or two. We’ve never heard anything about the marketplace needing to be replanned."
"Patriarch Luo, does my City Construction Department need to get your approval to conduct its business?" Huang Zhong sneered.
"Alright, that’s enough of this nonsense. Stop talking," Shao Jun barked coldly. "Since it’s come to this, all of you will take a trip back to the Celestial Dragon Guard with me."
Luo Min’s heart sank instantly, and his face turned pale.
With the connections of the Qin family and the City Construction Department, Luo Min was certain that the other party would be fine after going to the Celestial Dragon Guard headquarters, but if he and his family went, getting out would be another story.
"Fine, let’s go. We’ll go to the Celestial Dragon Guard and get a proper ruling," Huang Zhong sneered. "Patriarch Luo, after you."
Seeing that Luo Min didn’t react, Huang Zhong sneered again. "Captain Shao, it seems Patriarch Luo needs a personal invitation from you."
Shao Jun glanced coldly at the Luo family members.
"Captain Shao, we can discuss this right here. There’s no need to go to the Celestial Dragon Guard, is there?" Luo Min said, his face grim.
Shao Jun’s gaze turned sharp as ice. "Patriarch Luo, it seems you don’t trust my Celestial Dragon Guard. If the Luo family doesn’t want to come, my brothers here can personally *escort* you."
The Qin family and the City Construction Department on one side, the Luo family on the other. How to handle such a situation couldn’t have been simpler.
"And this kid! He injured a member of my City Construction Department Law Enforcement Team. Please take him away as well, Captain Shao," Huang Zhong said, pointing at Ye Xuan with a savage expression.
Shao Jun gave Ye Xuan an indifferent glance, assuming he was just some disciple of the Luo family, and paid him no mind. With a wave of his hand, several Celestial Dragon Guard members immediately surrounded him.
"You..." The faces of the Luo family members were ashen.
"You want to resist in front of the Celestial Dragon Guard?" Huang Zhong laughed scornfully. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Patriarch Luo, since Captain Shao has spoken, what’s the harm in taking a trip to the Celestial Dragon Guard? Are you afraid they’ll be corrupt and partial? However, Captain Shao, if we go to the Celestial Dragon Guard, I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you to notify the Artifact Refining Workshop."
Just then, Ye Xuan suddenly spoke in a calm tone.
Shao Jun was just about to wave his hand and order them taken away, but he froze when he heard this.
’The Artifact Refining Workshop? What does this have to do with the Artifact Refining Workshop?’
He stopped, frowned, and said in a cold voice, "Kid, what did you just say? Notify the Artifact Refining Workshop about what? What does the Luo family’s business have to do with the Artifact Refining Workshop?"
"Oh? Did you not know, Captain Shao? This Luo family shop is actually a designated sales outlet for the Artifact Refining Workshop. If you’re taking us away, of course you need to inform the Artifact Refining Workshop," Ye Xuan said, feigning confusion.
"A designated sales outlet for the Artifact Refining Workshop?"
Captain Shao’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Ye Xuan with a mixture of belief and suspicion.
Seeing this, Huang Zhong immediately shouted, "Captain Shao, don’t listen to this kid’s nonsense! The Artifact Refining Workshop has its own large shop in the marketplace. Since when did the Luo family have any connection to them? Besides, the Luo family shop sells Pills and Spirit Medicines, while the Artifact Refining Workshop sells Spiritual Treasures and Profound Treasures. Kid, if you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one!"
Before coming here, Huang Zhong had thoroughly investigated the Luo family’s shop. It was just the Luo family’s shop, with no connection to any other powers whatsoever. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have accepted Qin Yu’s bribe to do this for him.
Shao Jun’s gaze immediately turned ice-cold as he looked at Ye Xuan.
"Captain Shao, whether you believe it or not, this shop is a designated sales outlet for the Artifact Refining Workshop, under its jurisdiction. I have no need to deceive you, nor could I," Ye Xuan said calmly.
