Chapter 54: A Dignified Ninth-Rank Black-Clad Constable

As Chen Xuan finished reading in a loud voice, Lin Zhedong and the two punks were left with dumbfounded expressions.

We know you've been appointed, but... but what's with this overwhelming sense of pride?
Did you really have to read it out so loudly?
If we didn't know better, we'd think you were reading an imperial decree!

After finishing his reading, Chen Xuan felt immensely satisfied. He folded the letter of appointment once more, then suddenly furrowed his brow, looked at them, and barked, "What in the tarnation? Why aren't you kneeling?"

Lin Zhedong and the two punks hurriedly dropped to their knees and began kowtowing.

Only after dropping to his knees did Lin Zhedong suddenly snap back to reality.
Wait a minute! I am the county magistrate, a dignified seventh-rank official of the imperial court!
He is merely a puny ninth-rank!
Why on earth am I kneeling?

He hurriedly made to get up, but the moment he recalled how fiercely Chen Xuan had just killed two men without batting an eye, a shiver ran down his spine.
Forget it. Kneeling is kneeling; it's no big deal.

"Blast it all, Magistrate Lin, why are you kneeling to me? Get up at once!"
Chen Xuan shouted.

Lin Zhedong offered an awkward, sheepish smile and finally stood up.

On the ground, the two punks immediately began to plead tearfully.
"Constable Wu, spare our lives! Spare us, Lord Constable!"
"We know we were wrong, please have mercy on us!"
...

"Damn your ancestors! Impersonating a government official of the imperial court and daring to illegally wear official robes—that's a crime punishable by the extermination of all nine familial relations!"
Chen Xuan glared at them fiercely.

Scared out of their wits, the two punks hurriedly resumed their frantic kowtowing, their heads slamming against the floor with loud thuds until blood began to well up on their foreheads.

"What are you waiting for? Take off those official robes and go attend to Magistrate Lin, help him bathe and change!"
Chen Xuan berated.

Realization dawning upon them, the two punks quickly stripped off the official robes and turned to Lin Zhedong with ingratiating smiles.
"My lord, this lowly one will help you bathe!"
"This lowly one will help you change your clothes!"
...

Lin Zhedong stood there in shock, still finding it difficult to process everything happening around him.

"Hurry up and take the lord to wash up! If I find out you didn't clean the lord properly when you come back, I'll flay you alive, damn it!"
Chen Xuan scolded.

The two punks scrambled to their feet and practically half-carried, half-dragged Lin Zhedong toward another room to bathe.

Chen Xuan strode forward with his saber at his waist, heading directly for the largest room ahead.

Inside, the room was still filled with a deafening clamor.
Some were fiercely drinking and playing drinking games, while others rolled dice. It seemed as though not a single person had heard the commotion outside.

Chen Xuan shoved his way through the crowd, walked up to the largest gambling table, and slammed his official saber down onto the surface.
Thud!
The sound was heavy and dull.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, their expressions freezing as they all turned in unison to stare at Chen Xuan.

"You rascals, I'm placing this saber as a stake on three sixes. Roll the dice for me!"
Chen Xuan shouted.

Everyone looked surprised, eyeing Chen Xuan up and down.
A new constable?
The imperial court actually sent someone?
A strange, peculiar look quickly surfaced on their faces.

The man acting as the dealer gave a faint chuckle, glanced at the saber, and smiled. "Official, how about we value this blade at thirty taels?"
"Blast it all, this blade of mine is a priceless family heirloom worth at least five hundred taels!"
Chen Xuan cursed. "Are you bastards trying to cheat me?"

The corners of everyone's mouths twitched.
*Damn it all, that's just a standard-issue government saber worth twenty taels at most, and you're claiming five hundred? Why don't you just go rob a treasury?*

The dealer chuckled once more, his eyes narrowing into slits as a cold glint flashed within them.

Suddenly, two burly men pushed their way out from the crowd and stepped up behind Chen Xuan.
"Official, this place isn't suitable for you to play. We know a much better place where you can have some real fun!"
"Please come with us, official!"

The two men spoke in cold tones, and without warning, both of them reached out and grabbed for Chen Xuan's shoulders from behind, exerting sudden, heavy force.

However, the very instant their palms made contact with Chen Xuan, a strange and unfathomable energy surged from within his body. It instantly locked onto their palms like glue, causing the internal energy in their bodies to hemorrhage uncontrollably and drain away wildly.

The complexions of the two burly men shifted drastically, and they hurriedly tried to wrench their hands away by force.
Yet their palms remained firmly glued to him, completely immobilized as if caught in the grip of a dozen invisible giant hands. They could only watch in wide-eyed horror as their hard-earned internal energy poured out of them in a torrential rush.

"You... You..."
The two of them managed to let out strangled cries, their mouths, tongues, and throats convulsing violently. All the meridians throughout their bodies shook uncontrollably, making it impossible for them to utter another complete word.

In the blink of an eye, their internal energy was completely refined and drained away to the last drop. Their bodies went limp, and with two heavy thuds, they collapsed to their knees behind Chen Xuan. Their faces were ashen, their lips parched, and their eyes filled with deep, lingering terror, yet their palms remained firmly stuck to Chen Xuan's body.

This was the power of the Energy-Melting True Qi!
Following the user's will!
Anyone with a lower cultivation level than his, the moment they touched him, would instantly be glued by the Energy-Melting True Qi, utterly unable to break away until every drop of their internal energy was dissolved and drained dry.

"What in the tarnation? What were you two bastards feeling me up for? I'm no brothel floozy, get lost!"
Chen Xuan cursed, sending a ripple of internal energy through his body.
Bang! Bang!
Spouting mouthfuls of fresh blood, the two burly men were blasted out of the room. They slammed heavily into the ground far away, their bones shattered and limbs broken, writhing in agonizing pain.

The surrounding crowd gasped in shock, utterly dumbfounded.
The combat prowess of those two men was by no means weak; both were at the eighth layer of Qi Accumulation and possessed at least twenty years of internal energy cultivation under their belts. Yet they weren't even able to withstand a single move!
When did the yamen get such a formidable expert?

The dealer's heart also sank heavily. He stared deeply at Chen Xuan and said, "Official, are you playing for real or just looking for trouble? We happen to be men of Ninth Master Wang!"

"You little bastard, roll the dice already!"
Chen Xuan slammed his palm onto the table and berated.

With a cold snort, the dealer flicked his wrist, scooping up the dice cup. He began shaking it rapidly, and after a clattering rattle, he slammed the cup down onto the table with a loud bang.
"Official, do you really want to bet on three sixes?"
He stared coldly at Chen Xuan.

"Open it, you bastard!"
Chen Xuan demanded.

The man lifted the lid to reveal the three dice resting inside: a four, a five, and a six.
"My lord, you've lost. This official saber is no longer yours!"
The dealer's tone was icy as he reached out to snatch the blade.

"Courting death!"
Chen Xuan flew into a rage, unleashing a lightning-fast palm strike. With a sharp crack, his palm landed squarely on the man's forehead, fracturing his skull and causing blood to spurt from his facial orifices. The man was sent flying backward on the spot, crashing heavily into the distance.

"I am a dignified official of the imperial court! Daring to touch my official saber is the equivalent of treason—a crime punishable by the extermination of all nine familial relations!"
Chen Xuan declared fiercely.

The onlookers around him turned pale with fright.
Murder!
This constable actually killed one of Ninth Master Wang's men?

Within the crowd, someone had already bolted toward the exit, desperately intending to alert the person pulling the strings behind the scenes.
However, Chen Xuan's hearing was razor-sharp. Catching the movement, he instantly reached out, snapped off a piece of the table's corner, and hurled it like a projectile.
Thud!
Imbued with pure, refined internal energy, the ordinary piece of wood let out a piercing screech as it sliced through the air, harder than solid steel. It struck squarely into the fleeing man's back, sending him flying forward through the air before he crashed lifelessly to the floor, dead.

"None of you bastards are allowed to leave today! Keep playing. Whoever dares stop playing dies!"
Chen Xuan threatened fiercely.

Terror gripped the crowd.
What kind of lunatic is this?
Has he lost his mind?

The people gathered around several other tables for drinking games also turned pale with fright and bolted upright. Who knows who started it, but the remaining patrons instantly surged toward the exits in a panic-stricken mob.
As they fled, the people from the neighboring gambling tables followed suit, scrambling for the doors.

"My lord, we're innocent! Please don't shoot us!"
Many cried out in sheer panic as they scrambled to escape.

Furious, Chen Xuan leaped into the air, soaring over the heads of the fleeing crowd and landing squarely in their path. With a sharp *schwing*, his official saber cleared its scabbard as he bellowed, "What in the tarnation? Who dares leave today? Whoever dares take another step dies!"

The crowd turned pale with terror, hastily slamming on the brakes.

Right at that moment, however—
A sharp, piercing sound of breaking air erupted from behind, instantly enveloping his entire body.
Just the sound alone telegraphed a lethal, terrifying hidden weapon.

With lightning speed, Chen Xuan whipped around, channeling his internal energy straight into his eyes. In an instant, the incoming projectiles slowed to a crawl within his field of vision. Brandishing his long saber, he directly unleashed the [Basic Sword Technique].
Clang, clang, clang!
A barrage of steel needles was swept away by his blade, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Even though he deflected a great number of them, a few still struck his chest with immense force, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by his Iron Cloth technique.

Swish! Swish!
Two figures hurtled in from afar with blistering speed, their faces cold and expressionless. Upon arrival, palms flying like shadows imbued with formidable power, they viciously struck out toward Chen Xuan's body.

In a fit of rage, Chen Xuan tossed aside his official saber, mobilized his palm force, and leaped forward to meet the two assailants head-on.