Chapter 98

Chen Xun, having successfully robbed, did not even have the time to carefully examine the small seal he had obtained before tossing it into the Void Yuan Space and fleeing into the dense forest. He only relaxed when he saw from afar that the three men from the Left Cavalry Guard did not pursue him. He then reunited with Little Green Leopard and entered the city through the East Gate.

The green jade seal still retained the divine soul aura of its previous owner, and refining it in the city might alert the previous owner.

Chen Xun thought that after losing this talisman, the Meng brothers and their group would search the entire city. Therefore, he left the green jade seal in the Void Yuan Pearl without further concern, planning to find a secluded mountain forest to refine it at a later date.

Apart from the green jade seal, the leather pouch contained only a few mystic talismans and four True Yang Cultivation Pills, which was quite disappointing for Chen Xun.

He never expected that the Meng brothers and their group, who were always robbing hermits, would be so stingy.

However, he did not know that the Meng brothers and their group had been tracking Tie Xinmei for several days using the Soul Chasing Seal, which had greatly exhausted them.

Chen Chuan had consumed no less than ten True Yang Cultivation Pills over three or four days, but with no results, which had already made them feel like their hearts were bleeding. They never imagined that they would be robbed in return.

The True Yang Cultivation Pills did not have any special divine soul aura, but the leather pouch had a special emblem. Chen Xun casually burned it in the fire basin.

Chen Xun took out the spell book to study it in detail. He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly felt several intense killing auras approaching. This startled him, making his soul tremble and his limbs turn cold. He never thought that the matter would be exposed so quickly after just half a day.

Chen Xun had anticipated that the Meng brothers might suspect him, but he did not expect them to come with such a large group. Was it because they were afraid that their robbing of hermits would be exposed?

Then, with a loud bang, the courtyard gate was smashed open. Chen Xun, holding the Frost Blade, was about to flee when a spiritual pressure hit him, indicating that any movement would result in his immediate death.

This spiritual pressure was extremely familiar. Who else could it be but Su Quan?

Realizing that Su Quan had personally led the group, Chen Xun's heart sank even further. He now understood why the Meng brothers were so bold—they had directly reported to Su Quan!

What should he do?

Even if he exposed the Meng brothers' robbing of hermits, Su Quan would likely protect them.

As Su Quan's spiritual pressure locked onto him, Chen Xun sensed several people rushing into the courtyard. He knew that escaping now would be nearly impossible.

"Fourth Brother, what are you doing?" Su Qingfeng asked sternly.

"Hmph! A high-ranking official of the Suwu Marshal's Mansion, robbing a disciple of the Suwu Marshal's Mansion halfway. If this gets out, it will be a laughingstock. Today, if I don't crush him to dust, I won't be a Su!"

Hearing that Su Qingfeng and Su Quan had appeared together, Chen Xun's heart, which had been pounding, calmed slightly. He thought Su Quan was truly a fool.

Then he realized that the Meng brothers must have recognized him after the incident and reported it to Su Quan. Although Su Quan disliked him, his primary goal was to suppress Su Qingfeng and gain more control over the Suwu Marshal's Mansion.

He was just a pawn between Su Quan and Su Qingfeng!

Understanding this, Chen Xun was not particularly panicked. He thought: It seems that robbing is indeed a high-risk, high-reward activity.

Chen Xun fastened the Frost Blade to his waist, tidied his clothes, and walked out. He saw Su Quan, the Meng brothers, and others standing in the courtyard, their eyes filled with hostility, as if they would draw their swords at the slightest provocation.

Zhao Tu and Cai'er, father and daughter, were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, trembling all over. They had never seen such a scene and dared not resist in the face of Su Quan's powerful spiritual pressure.

Aqing, who was also trembling and lying on the ground, covered his eyes with his thick paws.

Su Qingfeng stood behind Su Quan with a serious expression. If it were true that a guest of the Suwu Marshal's Mansion had robbed a disciple, it would be extremely embarrassing for him.

Ge Yi and others stood at the broken gate, blocking Gu Jianfeng, Gu Feng, and others from entering.

"Fourth Master, Thirteenth Master, what brings you to my humble abode?" Chen Xun asked with a bow.

Su Quan thought that breaking in would scare Chen Xun, but he was surprised to see him walk out as if nothing had happened. With eyes like lightning and a voice like thunder, he demanded, "You did a good deed, and you still have the nerve to ask why we came?"

Chen Xun, shaken by Su Quan's spiritual pressure, struggled to calm his blood and qi, then sat cross-legged. "If you want to accuse me, you can always find a reason. Fourth Master, if you must kill me today, I cannot resist, but I hope you will give me an explanation before you do so!"

"You... Do you believe I can kill you with one palm?" Su Quan asked, furious.

"I believe it. I am afraid. But I do not know where I went wrong or what my crime is!" Chen Xun said loudly.

"Fourth Brother!" Seeing Chen Xun's composure, Su Qingfeng gained confidence, stepped forward, and reprimanded Su Quan, reminding him to maintain his composure in front of so many disciples and officials.

Su Quan knew that if he really attacked, the Thirteenth Master would intervene. Moreover, if he killed Chen Xun without solid evidence, Su Tang would make a fuss when he emerged from seclusion. He withdrew his hand in anger and sneered, "With the evidence, how can you deny it?"

"Since the evidence is clear, Fourth Brother, why don't you take a moment to let them confront each other and clarify the matter?" Su Qingfeng suggested.

Chen Xun looked at everyone with a bewildered expression, as if he had no idea what he had done wrong.

"Is this the person you saw?" Lou Jiao, standing behind Su Quan, stepped forward and showed a portrait. The person in the portrait, except for a dirty face, looked exactly like Chen Xun.

"It does look like him. I wonder who drew this portrait of Chen Xun, but why is his face so dirty? Chen Xun has always been a clean person, even after living in the wilderness for years..." Chen Xun asked.

Lou Jiao was so angry he almost spat blood. He never expected that Chen Xun would still try to argue at such a critical moment.

"Is this the strange-colored mystic leopard you raised?" Lou Jiao showed another portrait, depicting Aqing in great detail.

Chen Xun laughed and bowed to Su Qingfeng. "Thirteenth Master, if someone showed your portrait and accused you of a capital crime, would you accept it?"

Su Qingfeng remained silent, his face cold, and stared at Lou Jiao, urging him to continue.

"Three senior brothers from the Left Cavalry Guard, did you see this person rob and kill Chen Chuan and then flee into the forest?" Lou Jiao asked the three men from the Left Cavalry Guard.

"The figure does look like him..." the three men from the Left Cavalry Guard said.

"What do you have to say now?" Su Quan coldly asked.

"Chen Xun knows that Fourth Master is unhappy with me, but I want to ask if I have the chance to defend myself," Chen Xun asked.

"Let's see how you defend yourself," Su Quan said.

"In the vast Canglan, there are millions of people and countless hermits. There are many who look similar. I don't know where the three senior brothers from the Left Cavalry Guard saw Chen Chuan being robbed, and whether these portraits were drawn afterward to help catch the culprit," Chen Xun said, standing up.

"We only saw a figure that looked very much like you, who robbed and killed Chen Chuan and then fled into the forest. We did not see the leopard," the men from the Left Cavalry Guard said.

"..." Chen Xun turned to Lou Jiao and asked, "The three senior brothers from the Left Cavalry Guard did not see Aqing, yet you are using Aqing's portrait to frame me. Lou Official, I have a grudge with the Guixi tribe, but I never thought you would dare to seek personal revenge in front of Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master!"

"Lou Official, how do you explain Chen Xun's words?" Su Qingfeng asked, his face dark.

"Chen Xun and the mystic leopard were seen by my own eyes, and the portrait was drawn at the Law Enforcement Bureau. I would not falsely accuse you, would I?" Chen Chuan, who had never expected that this little brat had actually robbed him, was so angry he wanted to tear his calm face to pieces.

"You are Chen Chuan, senior brother. I apologize for not getting to know you better at the Disciple Residence. I really don't understand how I offended you," Chen Xun asked.

"You!" Chen Chuan was so angry he almost spat blood.

"Chen Chuan and I have no grudges. How could he falsely accuse you?" Lou Jiao asked.

"Since Lou Official knows I have no grudges with Chen Chuan, how can you be so sure I would rob him for no reason?" Chen Xun asked coldly.

Lou Jiao, who had never expected Chen Xun to be so quick-witted, was furious.

"Chen Chuan and you are not familiar, and he has never seen your little beast. With the evidence, how can you still deny it?" Lou Jiao asked.

"Today, I didn't even take Aqing out in the city. Chen Chuan says he has never seen Aqing. Lou Official, are you three years old?" Chen Xun asked with a cold laugh.

Su Qingfeng and Ge Yi were there to support him. Chen Xun was not afraid of a mere official like Lou Jiao.

"Yesterday, you left the city from the South Gate and did not return. Today, you returned from the East Gate. There are witnesses. Do you think you can escape the blame with your smooth talk?" Lou Jiao asked, laughing in anger.

"Since Lou Official is determined to frame me, I will ask Chen Chuan, senior brother," Chen Xun said, staring at Chen Chuan's eyes. "You say you saw me and Aqing ambush you. How many moves did we exchange, and how many moves did it take for you to be defeated? Why did you see me and Aqing, but the three senior brothers from the Left Cavalry Guard only saw me fleeing into the forest?"

"In the southern pasture, you attacked me alone, but in the mountains, I saw you with this little beast!" Chen Chuan thought that with Fourth Master's support, he could easily kill these two little brats. He never expected that this little brat would be so quick-witted, leaving Lou Jiao and others speechless.

Chen Xun bowed to Su Quan and Su Qingfeng and said, "I don't know what I did to offend Chen Chuan, senior brother, to make him frame me like this! I had never met Chen Chuan before today. He says he saw me and Aqing in the mountains, and I was indeed outside the city last night. I have no way to defend myself, but I ask Thirteenth Master and Fourth Master to hear his story. If there are no other witnesses, I hope Thirteenth Master and Fourth Master will uphold justice for me!"

Su Qingfeng thought that Chen Chuan and Chen Xun had no grudges, and there was no reason for Chen Chuan to frame him. Moreover, many people had seen Chen Xun and the green leopard leave the city, and the three men from the Left Cavalry Guard had witnessed the scene. It would be difficult for Chen Xun to escape the blame.

However, even if Chen Xun was guilty, his composure and quick thinking at such a young age left Su Qingfeng secretly impressed.

But when Chen Xun asked Chen Chuan to describe how they met in the mountains and for any witnesses, Chen Chuan was at a loss. They had thought that with Fourth Master's support, they could easily capture and kill this little brat. They never expected the situation to escalate to this point, and they could not reveal that they had been robbing hermits.